Body and Blood of Christ, June 6, 2010

(Genesis 14:18-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Luke 9:11b-17)

As we pass over from the festive seasons of Lent, Easter and

Pentecost into Ordinary Time, we revisit the Last Supper one
more time for the Feast of the Body and Blood of the Lord. It is
this heavenly food that will sustain us on our pilgrimage.
The main menu of the feast is Paul’s instruction to the
Corinthians from what is probably the earliest written account of
the Last Supper. Paul notes that he hands on what he received
from the Lord.
Thus it is established already as a tradition (i.e. “what is
handed on”) that has come directly to Paul from the Lord. But Paul
regards the Church as the Body of Christ, so this may mean that he
received as a tradition “from the Body of Christ, what I also
handed on to you.” It would still have the same authority coming
from the Church as from Christ.
There was a formula firmly fixed that involved certain verbs
“took...gave thanks...broke...gave.” Almost all Eucharistic settings
in the Gospels reflect this or a similar formula. Note Sunday’s
Gospel where at the feeding Jesus “took...blessed...broke...gave.”
There can be no doubt that Luke had in mind the Lord’s Supper in
this account.
Paul does not present a spiritual reflection on Eucharistic
theology. He uses the formula that had developed around the
celebration of the Lords’ Supper in these first few years after the
death and resurrection of Christ as the intro to the words of the
Lord, literally: “This is my body for you. This do in my memory.”
The same straight-forward simplicity is used for the cup: “This
cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do, whenever you
drink, in my memory.” Paul repeats the command to “Do this”
after both the bread and the cup.
Paul is the first commentator we know of to interpret the
ritual as a proclamation of the death of the Lord until he comes.
Thus Paul invites all to become actively engaged in proclaiming
the Lord’s death and the Christian hope for Christ’s return. It is in
fact a participation not only in what Christ did on the night before
“he was handed over.” It is also a continuous proclamation of that
reality through the ages.
In receiving the sacrament of the Lord’s Body and Blood in
both forms of bread and from the cup, we have returned to the
practice of the New Testament period itself. This noble simplicity
allows us to ponder the presence of Christ in the Eucharist as the
Word made flesh dwelling among us.
The upcoming revised English translation of the Mass, has
chosen “chalice” over the “cup” (happily in use since the 1970’s)
which the New Testament used for this drinking vessel (poterion
in Greek). Even the Latin word from which “chalice” comes
(calix) means a drinking vessel or a goblet. Replacing “chalice”
for “cup” is not exactly returning to New Testament tradition but
may well continue an apparent new quest for the Holy Grail.
Paul invites the Corinthians (and us) to consider that
participation in the Eucharist is an active proclamation of the
death of the Lord until he returns. This should be enough to
sustain and nurture us. Extras (linguistic or other) added to deepen
the mystery distract from simple truth.
In some ways today, Eucharistic piety has become
Eucharistic politics, a source of division and scandal, leading to
the exclusion of some from the table of the Lord. The Lord here
feeds 5000 hungry people. He simply tells the disciples “give
them food yourselves.” He does not start by separating saints from
sinners. He said feed them and all were satisfied. May we be too!

Fr. Lawrence L. Hummer