Sunday, June 14, 2020 - The Blessed Sacrament - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 6, 51-58 - I am the living bread which came down from heaven, says the Lord; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.
The Church celebrates the Blessed Sacrament this Sunday. The feast of the Blessed Sacrament has existed since the 13th century. At that time, occasions for communion were rare. Some even thought that Christ's presence ceases to be effective at the end of Mass. To remedy this, the Church instituted the procession so that the Blessed Sacrament could be worshipped in the Church outside the Eucharistic celebrations.
We believe in Christ in the Eucharist, honouring the Blessed Sacrament through procession is a public expression of our faith because Jesus is always with us and said: "I am with you always, to the end of the world" (Mt 28, 20). The bread and wine are transformed into the whole body of Jesus Christ after the formula of consecration and never become ordinary bread and wine again, but remain Christ. That is why the rest, after communion, is preserved: it is destined for the sick and for adoration, and a lamp is lit near the tabernacle, where the Blessed Sacrament rests, to signal the presence of Christ. The Gospel that the Church proposes today emphasizes that Jesus gave himself and will always be with us in the form of bread, a meal to which we are constantly invited, as frequently as possible, because it is the guarantee of eternal life.
What kind of bread is this? Jesus declared it publicly, teaching in the synagogue of Capernaum. When we offer gifts, we give things, but Jesus gave Himself to us; not only a gift to be kept, but food for our souls, a provision and a guarantee for eternity. We make a gift to those we love; and He loves us so much that He has given Himself. It is a gift from God, too bad for those who do not want to receive it! The words of Jesus are clear: "Amen, amen, I say to you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink".
This idea is difficult to conceive for the Jews, his contemporaries. But he created the Eucharist on Holy Thursday before his death. We commune with Him in the Eucharist. This is our unshakeable faith. Food keeps us alive, and the Father has given us his Son for this purpose. One food that unifies. Let us be assiduous in our communion with Jesus, let us allow Him to permeate our lives and bring Him to others.
Unfortunately, at this time, most of us cannot take communion, but let us unite spiritually with those who can, through an intense and sincere desire. Let us pray fervently and urgently, so that we may all be able to receive Holy Communion again soon and so that we may come out victorious from this severe trial for our faith and our life. May Christ, the Living Bread, whom we now celebrate, fulfill this wish. Amen.
