On this Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi, we are once again brought back to the past, when Jesus took the Last Supper with His disciples. We recall the institution of the Holy Eucharist. The Gospel reading reminds us of the day when Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to his disciples and said, “Take it; This is my body.” Then he took a cup of wine, gave thanks, and gave it to them. He said, “This is my blood.”

The primary purpose of this feast is to focus our attention on the Eucharist. How beautiful it is that in each Eucharistic celebration, Jesus continues to be truly present among us. The gift of the Holy Eucharist leads us to reflect on God’s covenant with us and our relationship with God in Jesus.

As I reflect on this Sunday’s readings on the Solemnity of Christ’s Body and Blood, I am so much in awe and wonder at God’s love for us and of His perfect plan of salvation. We read in John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. I really give thanks to God for the gift of salvation offered to all of us. Then in the Eucharist, our Lord Jesus Christ is truly present and gives Himself to us sacramentally when we receive Him in Holy Communion.

In the Responsorial Psalm, the psalmist asks: “How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the goodness that He has done for me?” If we are indeed truly grateful for God’s goodness to us, our celebration and participation in the Holy banquet of the Lord will be truly different and the effect will also manifest in our lives. As the saying goes, “we become what we eat.” Therefore, as we partake in the Holy Body and Blood of Jesus in the Holy Mass, we become another Jesus in this world. Our father founder Bl. Francisco Palau, OCD said, “that in the Eucharist, one receives Jesus, a thousand receives;” So, for me it means that when I receive Jesus in holy communion, others also receive Him through me, loving and serving Jesus in others; in this way through my good actions, I can share to others the Body and Blood of Christ.

So, the challenge and invitation for us this Sunday is to be blessed, broken and shared for others like what Jesus did when He instituted the Holy Eucharist.

Sr. Claire Marie R. Sy, CMT

Manila, Philippines