Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ - Cycle A
(Corpus Christi)
1st Reading: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16
Israel's Character Forged in the Desert (Continuation)
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[2] "And you shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you
these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to
know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments, or
not. [3] And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which
you did not know, nor did your fathers know; that he might make you know that
man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by everything that proceeds
out of the mouth of the LORD. [4] Your clothing did not wear out upon you, and
your foot did not swell, these forty years.
God Not To Be Forgotten in the Time of Plenty (Continuation)
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[14] "Then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought
you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, [15] who led you through
the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty
ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock,
[16] who fed you in the wilderness with manna which your fathers did not know,
that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end."
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Commentary:
8:1-6. The Israelites are reminded about the way they were tested in the wilder-
ness and how God gave them special protection and fatherly care; and they are
once again exhorted to fidelity. This context needs to be borne in mind when con-
sidering v, 4: it need not be taken literally as some rabbinical fables did, which
took it to mean that in those desert years the Israelites' clothes did not wear out
and their children's clothes increased in size as they grew tip.
"Man does not live by bread alone" (v. 3): Jesus will quote these words when re-
jecting Satan's first temptation in the desert (cf. Mt 4:4).
The relationship between Israel and God, which is compared to that of father and
son (v. 5) was central to Jesus' thinking and teaching. Some other Old Testament
passages, though not many, speak of this relationship (cf., e.g., Hos 11:1); a
greater number of passages apply this idea to the relationship between the Lord
and the King (cf., e.g., 2 Sam 7:14-15; Ps 2:7; 89:27).
8:7-20. This passage is more profound than might appear at first reading, because
the sacred writer is using the theme of the Land to show the salvific dimension of
God's actions. Israel's "departure from Egypt" marked the beginning of God's sal-
vific action on behalf of his chosen people. The "wilderness", described as "terrible",
helped to make that people realize that they needed God and helped them to hope
in him. The "promised land", a "good land", particularly when compared with the
wilderness, shows God's kindness towards Israel: in it they will find rest, peace
and happiness. The only thing they need to guard against is glorying in it, as if
they merited this good fortune. If ever they did give in to that temptation, they
would be lost. Clearly, this theological-moral lesson should be taken to heart by
everyone in his relations with God, whatever his or her circumstances.
The Canaanites went in for coarse and disgusting fertility rites to win the favor of
the gods that protected agriculture and livestock. The Israelites must do no such
thing. They should show their gratitude to the Lord who sends rain, sun and dew,
by offering sober and sensible sacrifices from field and flock. The Deuteronomic
Code (chaps- 12-26) in fact deals with agriculture-based festivals such as "Weeks"
(Deut 16:9-12), "unleavened bread" (16:3-4), "tithes" (14:22-29), etc. It is through
this, and above all, though living up to the moral demands of the Law, that Israel
will show its fidelity to Yahweh.
The ease with which men (and nations) forget God once they become rich and
prosperous is something readily proved from history. And when that happens the
threat contained in Deuteronomy in vv. 19-20 inevitably becomes a reality, for
"without a creator there can be no creature. [...] Besides, once God is forgotten
the creature is lost sight of as well" (Vatican II, "Gaudiumn Et Spes", 36); hence
the need not to put one's heart on material things. "You need to realize," St Gre-
gory of Nyssa urges, "the origin of your life, your mind, your wisdom and, what
is more important still, the fact that you know God, your hope in the kingdom of
heaven and your expectation of seeing God [...], being a son of God, a co-heir
of Christ and (dare I say it) becoming divinized: where do all these things come
from; who causes them to happen?" ("De Pauperum Amore", 23).
Christian writers often apply the benefits the Israelites received during the Exodus
to the graces of Baptism and the Eucharist (cf, e.g., 1 Cor 1.0:1-11). And the
Church's liturgy, after recalling, the pillar of fire, the voice of Moses on Sinai, the
manna and the water that flowed from the rock, prays that our Lord should be for
us, through his Resurrection, the light of life, the word and bread of life (cf. Liturgy
of the Hours, Prayer, Lauds, Tuesday of Week 6, Eastertide).
2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
Idolatry and the Eucharist, Incompatible
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[16] The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of
Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
[17] Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all par-
take of the one bread.
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Commentary:
14-22. After illustrating the general principles by reference to what himself does
and the lessons of the history of Israel (cf. note on chaps. 8-10), St Paul returns
to the subject of food sacrificed to idols. Christians may not attend the banquets
which take place at pagan shrines, for that would amount to idolatry. By eating
the meat of animals offered to Yahweh, Jews participated in the sacrifice and
worship in his honor; and, by receiving the body and blood of the Lord, Christians
unite themselves to Christ; similarly, those who take part in idolatrous banquets
are associating themselves not with false gods-- which have no existence--but
with demons. In the Old Testament it is pointed out that things sacrificed to idols
are in fact being offered to demons, who enemies of the worship of God (cf. Deut
32:17; Ps 106: 36-38; Bar 4:7).
St Paul's words confirm basic truths of faith connected with the sublime mystery
of the Eucharist--its sacrificial character, adverted to here by drawing a parallel
between it and pagan sacrifices (cf. v. 21; Council of Trent, "De SS. Missae Sac-
rificio", chap. 1), and the real presence of Christ, as can be seen by the reference
to the body and blood of Christ (v. 16). The Church's faith has always maintained
that the holy sacrifice of the Mass is the renewal of the divine sacrifice of Calvary;
in every Mass Christ once again offers God the Father His body and blood, as a
sacrifice for all men, with the difference that what was offered on the cross in a
bloody manner is offered on the altar in an unbloody manner. "In the divine sac-
rifice that is offered in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a
bloody manner on the altar of the cross is present and is offered in an unbloody
manner (cf. Heb 9: 27). [...] For it is one and the same victim--He who now
makes the offering through the ministry of priests and He who then offered Him-
self on the cross; the only difference is in the manner of the offering" ("De SS.
Missae Sacrificio", chap. 2). "The Eucharist is above all a sacrifice--the sacrifice
of Redemption and at the same time the sacrifice of the New Covenant" (John
Paul II, "Letter To All Bishops", 24 February 1980). See also the notes on Mt
26:26-29 and par.
On the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, see the note on 1 Cor 11:27-32.
16-17. The principal effect of the Blessed Eucharist is intimate union with Jesus.
The very name "communion"--taken from this passage of St Paul (cf. "St Pius V
Catechism", II, 4, 4)--points to becoming one with our Lord by receiving his body
and blood. "What in fact is the bread? The body of Christ. What do they become
who receive Communion? The body of Christ" (Chrysostom, "Hom. on 1 Cor, 24,
ad loc.").
St Augustine places these words on Jesus' lips to describe what happens at Holy
Communion: "You will not change me into you as happens with bodily food; rather,
you will be changed into me" ("Confessions", VII, 10, 16).
Due to this intimate union with Christ, the Eucharist is at one and the same time
the sacrament where the entire Church demonstrates and achieves its unity, and
where a very special kind of solidarity is developed among Christians. That is why
it is called a "symbol of unity" and a "bond of love;" (Council of Trent, "De SS.
Eucharistia", chap. 8; cf. "Lumen Gentium", 7; "Unitatis Redintegratio", 2). The
Fathers of the Church have seen a symbol of this union in the very materials--
bread and wine--used to make the Eucharist. The "St Pius V Catechism" sums
up this as follows: "the body of Christ, which is one, consists of many members
(cf. Rom 12:4-5; 1 Cor 10:17; 12:12), and of this union nothing is more strikingly
illustrative than the elements of bread and wine; for bread is made from many
grains and wine is pressed from many clusters of grapes. Thus they signify that
we, though many, are most closely bound together by the bond of the divine
mystery and made, as it were, one body" (II, 4,18).
"We who are many ...": the literal translation would be "We the many ...". The
text derives from a Hebrew expression indicating plurality or even totality as dis-
tinct from a single entity or a minority; the RSV catches this idea. The same turn
of phrase is found, for example, in Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45; Is 53:11.
Gospel Reading: John 6:51-58
The Discourse on the Bread of Life (Continuation)
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(Jesus said to the Jews,) [51] "I am the living bread which came down from
Heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which
I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh." [52] The Jews disputed among
themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?" [53] So Jesus
said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of
Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you; [54] he who eats My flesh and
drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. [55] For
My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. [56] He who eats My flesh
and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. [57] As the living Father sent
Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me will live because of Me.
[58] This is the bread which came from Heaven, not such as the fathers ate and
died; he who eats this bread will live for ever."
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Commentary:
49-51. The manna during the Exodus was a figure of this bread--Christ Himself--
which nourishes Christians on their pilgrimage through this world. Communion is
the wonderful banquet at which Christ gives Himself to us: "the bread which I shall
give for the life of the world is My flesh". These words promise the manifestation
of the Eucharist at the Last Supper: "This is My body which is for you" (1
Corin thians 11:24). The words "for the life of the world" and "for you" refer to the
redemptive value of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. In some sacrifices of the
Old Testament, which were a figure of the sacrifice of Christ, part of the animal
offered up was later used for food, signifying participation in the sacred rite (cf.
Exodus 11:3-4). So, by receiving Holy Communion, we are sharing in the sac-
rifice of Christ: which is why the Church sings in the Liturgy of the Hours on the
Feast of Corpus Christi: "O sacred feast in which we partake of Christ: His suf-
ferings are remembered, our minds are filled with His grace and we receive a
pledge of the glory that is to be ours" ("Magnificat Antiphon", Evening Prayer II).
52. Christ's hearers understand perfectly well that He means exactly what He
says; but they cannot believe that what He says could be true; if they had un-
derstood Him in a metaphorical, figurative or symbolic sense there would be no
reason for them to be surprised and nothing to cause an argument. Later, Jesus
reaffirms what He has said--confirming what they have understood Him to say
(cf. verses 54-56).
53. Once again Jesus stresses very forcefully that it is necessary to receive
Him in the Blessed Eucharist in order to share in divine life and develop the life
of grace received in Baptism. No parent is content to bring children into the
world: they have to be nourished and looked after to enable them to reach
maturity. "We receive Jesus Christ in Holy Communion to nourish our souls
and to give usan increase of grace and the gift of eternal life" ("St. Pius X
Catechism", 289).
54. Jesus clearly states that His body and blood are a pledge of eternal life and
a guarantee of the resurrection of the body. St. Thomas Aquinas gives this expla-
nation: "The Word gives life to our souls, but the Word made flesh nourishes our
bodies. In this Sacrament is contained the Word not only in His divinity but also
in His humanity; therefore, it is the cause not only of the glorification of our souls
but also of that of our bodies" ("Commentary on St. John, in loc.").
Our Lord uses a stronger word than just "eating" (the original verb could be trans-
lated as "chewing") which shows that Communion is a real meal. There is no
room for saying that He was speaking only symbolically, which would mean that
Communion was only a metaphor and not really eating and drinking the Body and
Blood of Christ.
"All these invitations, promises and threats sprang from the great desire which
(Jesus) had of giving us Himself in the holy Sacrament of the altar. But why
should Jesus so ardently desire us to receive Him in Holy Communion? It is be-
cause love always sighs for, and tends to a union with, the object beloved. True
friends wish to be united in such a manner as to become only one. The love of
God for us being immense, He destined us to possess Him not only in Heaven,
but also here below, by the most intimate union, under the appearance of bread
in the Eucharist. It is true we do not see Him; but He beholds us, and is really
present; yes, He is present in order that we may possess Him and He conceals
Himself, that we may desire Him, and until we reach our true homeland Jesus
Christ wishes in this way to be entirely ours, and to be perfectly united to us"
(St. Alphonsus Liguori, "The Love of Our Lord Jesus Christ Reduced to Practice",
Chapter 2).
55. In the same way as bodily food is necessary for life on earth, Holy Com-
munion is necessary for maintaining the life of the soul, which is why the Church
exhorts us to receive this Sacrament frequently: "Every day, as is desirable, and
in the greatest possible numbers, the faithful must take an active part in the sac-
rifice of the Mass, avail themselves of the pure, holy refreshment of Holy Com-
munion and make a suitable thanksgiving in return for this great gift of Christ the
Lord. Here are the words they should keep in mind: `Jesus Christ and the Church
desire all Christ's faithful to approach the sacred banquet every day. The basis
of this desire is that they should be united to God by the sacrament and draw
strength from it to restrain lust, to wash away the slight faults of daily occurrence
and to take precautions against the more serious sins to which human frailty is
liable' (Decree of the S.C. of the Council, 20 December 1905)" (Paul VI, "Mys-
terium Fidei").
"The Savior has instituted the most august sacrament of the Eucharist, which
truly contains His flesh and His blood, so that he who eats this bread may live
forever; whosoever, therefore, makes use of it often with devotion so strengthens
the health and the life of his soul, that it is almost impossible for him to be poi-
soned by any kind of evil affection. We cannot be nourished with this flesh of life,
and live with the affections of death. [...]. Christians who are damned will be
unable to make any reply when the just Judge shows them how much they are
to blame for dying spiritually, since it was so easy for them to maintain them-
selves in life and in health by eating His Body which He had left them for this
purpose. Unhappy souls, He will say, why did you die, seeing that you had at
your command the fruit and the food of life?" (St. Francis de Sales, "Introduction
to the Devout Life", II, 20, 1).
56. The most important effect of the Blessed Eucharist is intimate union with
Jesus Christ. The very word "communion" suggests sharing in the life of our Lord
and becoming one with Him; if our union with Jesus is promoted by all the sacra-
ments through the grace which they give us, this happens more intensely in the
Eucharist, for in it we receive not only grace but the very Author of grace: "Really
sharing in the body of the Lord in the breaking of the eucharistic bread, we are
taken up into communion with Him and with one another. `Because the bread is
one, we, though many, are one body, all of us who partake of the one bread'
(1 Corinthians 10:17)" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 7). Precisely because the
Eucharist is the sacrament which best signifies and effects our union with Christ,
it is there that the whole Church manifests and effects its unity: Jesus Christ
"instituted in His Church the wonderful sacrament of the Eucharist, by which the
unity of the Church is both signified and brought about" (Vatican II, "Unitatis
Reditegratio", 2).
57. In Christ, the Incarnate Word sent to mankind, "the whole fullness of deity,
dwells bodily (Colossians 2:9) through the ineffable union of His human nature
and His divine nature in the Person of the Word. By receiving in this sacrament
the body and blood of Christ indissolubly united to His divinity, we share in the
divine life of the second Person of the Blessed Trinity. We will never be able to
appreciate enough the intimacy with God Himself--Father, Son and Holy Spirit--
that we are offered in the eucharistic banquet.
"We can therefore do nothing more agreeable to Jesus Christ than to go to Com-
munion with the dispositions suitable to so great an action, since we are then
united to Jesus Christ, according to the desire of this all-loving God. I have said
with `suitable' and not `worthy' disposition, for who could communicate if it was
necessary to be worthy of so great a Savior? No one but a God would be worthy
to receive a God. But by this word suitable, or convenient, I mean such a dispo-
sition as becomes a miserable creature, who is clothed with the unhappy flesh
of Adam. Ordinarily speaking, it is sufficient that we communicate in a state of
grace and with an anxious desire of advancing in the love of Jesus Christ" (St.
Alphonsus Liguori, "The Love of Our Lord Jesus Christ Reduced to Practice",
Chapter 2)
58. For the third time (cf. 6:31-32 and 6:49) Jesus compares the true bread of
life, His own body, with the manna God used to feed the Israelites every day
during their forty years in the wilderness--thereby, inviting us to nourish our
soul frequently with the food of His body.
"`Going to Communion every day for so many years! Anybody else would be a
saint by now, you told me, and I...I'm always the same!' Son, I replied, keep up
your daily Communion, and think: what would I be if I had not gone'" (St. J.
Escriva, "The Way", 534).
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase
The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
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