The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of\nChrist<\/p>\n\n\n\n
June 23, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Luke 9:11-17<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today the Church is celebrating the\nsolemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. In many countries like\nIndonesia, today is the best time for the children who are already prepared to\nreceive their first Holy Communion. I still recall the day I partook of the\nsacred host and the holy wine. Many of us were around 10 years old, old enough\nto recognize the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and we were dressed in\nwhite. I was wearing long-sleeved white shirt with a tie and black pants. When\nthe priest dipped the white bread into the chalice of wine and said, \u201cthe body\nand blood of Christ\u201d, I said \u201cAmen.\u201d It was my first time to savor the\nsweetness of wine, and of course, alcoholic beverage!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At that moment, I just knew the reception\nof sacred host is necessary to complete the Eucharist, and I was aware I was\nreceiving a blessing, but I never truly comprehend the profound meaning of the\ngreat mystery. For me, it was just enough that I attend the mass and consume\nthe consecrated host. It has become a routine and tradition, from Sunday to\nSunday, to from month to month, from year to year. Till we become parents and\nwe also bring our children for their first communion. And when somebody asks\nus, \u201cwhy do you bring your children to the first communion?\u201d, our answer may be\nlike, \u201cWell, we want our kids to be like us. It is just a family tradition.\u201d\nThe answer is simple, but too simple that it draws more questions: why bread\nand wine? Why Body and Blood of Jesus? Why does it have to be eaten?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We often forget to realize that this sacred\nhost and wine are the entire Jesus Christ Himself, with all humanity and\ndivinity. Thus, God offers Himself to be eaten. Why eating God? The answers lie\non the pages of our Old Testament. Firstly, we recall that our first parents\nfell because of the act of eating. Now, in the Eucharist, God uses the same act\nof eating to restore men and women into grace. Secondly, in the middle of the\ngarden of Eden, there were two trees, the forbidden tree, the tree of the\nknowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life [Gen 2:9]. Unfortunately, our\nfirst parents chose to eat the fruits from the forbidden tree. Thus, to restore\nhumanity to grace, now God offers us the fruits from the tree of life, the tree\nof the cross of Christ. Thirdly, we remember the first Passover was about the\nstory of how God liberated Hebrew people from the slavery of Egypt. The\nPassover began with the slaughter of the lamb, and its blood was sprinkled on\nthe doors of the Israelite house so that their firstborns would be saved from\ndeath. Yet, the slaughter and the sprinkling of blood were not the summit of\nPassover. The Hebrew people had to consume the lamb as to complete their first\nPassover [Exo 12:8]. Now, Jesus the Lamb of God, has been sacrificed on the\ncross, yet it is not the end. Like the Hebrew Passover, we need to consume the\nLamb of God to complete our New Passover, the Eucharist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are so much themes and aspects we may\nponder on the Eucharist, and particularly today, the Church reminds us that the\nEucharist, especially the reception of the Holy Communion is not just our\nSunday routine, a family tradition. It is of the essential plan of God for our\nsalvation, so that we may have heaven, our Communion with God, the Holy\nTrinity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ June 23, 2019 Luke 9:11-17 Today the Church is celebrating the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. In many countries like Indonesia, today is the best time for the children who are already prepared to receive their first Holy Communion. I still recall the day I partook of the sacred host and the holy wine. Many of us were around 10 years old, old enough to recognize the…<\/p>\n