Jesus’ Real Presence! Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk         

Photo: Author
 19th Sunday of the Year, B – August 8, 2021.
Readings: 1 Kings 19:4-8; Psalm 33:2-9; Ephesians 4:30-5:2; Gospel – John 6:41-51
Theme: Jesus’ Real Presence!
Our first reading reveals how Elijah was tired, hungry and frustrated.In the second reading, St. Paul reminds us that Christ gave “himself up in our place as a fragrant offering…” and counsels all to be patient by forgiving others as God has forgiven us in Christ Jesus.The gospel presents Jesus’ expose on the real presence. Having been fed by the Eucharist, Jesus’  words, “The bread that I shall is my flesh, for the life of the world,” invites us to seek physical and spiritual unity of the Church while caring for those in need.
Introduction
Beloved in Christ, today, we continue our reflection on the Holy Eucharist from the Johannine text. For 5 Sundays, the Church has asked us to reflect on the theology of the Holy Eucharist. Perhaps this is because Sacosanctum Concilium (No. 10) states that the Eucharistic liturgy “is the source and summit of our Christian lives and existence.” Little wonder, Ecclesia De Eucharistia (No. 1) also attests to the fact that the Church draws her life from the Holy Eucharist. We shall reflect on the readings and draw out some pastoral lessons.
Background & Summary of the Readings
Our first reading (1 Kings 19:4-8) reveals how Elijah was tired, hungry and frustrated. He revealed that he almost gave up but God fed him twice. We are told that “he got up and ate and drank, and strengthened by that food he walked for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.”
In the second reading (Ephesians 5:15:20), St. Paul reminds us that Christ gave “himself up in our place as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God” therefore, we must make concerted efforts so as not to grieve the Holy Spirit. He counsels all to be patient and calm with others by forgiving them as God forgave us in Christ Jesus.
The gospel (John 6:51-58) presents us with an expose on the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Because of the controversy among the Jews about the real presence, Jesus cautioned his audience against grumbling. He, however, affirmed: “The bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.”
Jesus’ Real Presence: The Catholic Perspective
In the Catholic Church, the doctrine of the real Presence assets that: “In the Holy Eucharist, Jesus is literally and wholly present in Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity under the appearances of bread and wine. What this means is that at very celebration of Holy Mass, Christ is literally present (Cf. Cor. 10:16-17, 11:23-29; John 6:32-71) giving his children life in abundance. Catholics believe that Jesus Christ is really, truly, and substantially present in the Eucharist.
Jesus says: “Unless we eat and drink the Flesh and Blood of the Lord, we have no life in us” (Jn. 6:53). This is the basis of the theology of the Real Presence. Accordingly, “at every mass, a sacrifice is effected in which Christ is offered to the Father through the action of the priest at the altar.” Because Jesus is present in the Sacred Species after the prayer of consecration, Catholics adore and revere the Holy Eucharist. That is why the priest purifies the chalice and ciborium after administrating the Holy Communion to ensure that no particle is desecrated. Also, you will notice that Communion Plate is used so that no particle of Holy Communion falls off. This is also one of the reasons why the faithful are not served the Blood of Christ during Mass.
It is easier to pick fallen particles of the Body of Christ than the Blood when it spills. Besides, to eat of the Body is to have partaken in the Blood. Devotions like Benediction, Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament and reservation of the Holy Communion in the Tabernacle points to the Real Presence of Christ in the Catholic Church. In summary, Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist because; Christ said it and meant it (Matt. 26:26 & 28), his followers knew it that is why some stayed and others left (Jn. 6:60 & 67), the early Church knew it and taught it (Acts 2:42-46; 1 Cor. 11:27) and the Church Fathers knew and handed it over us (Didache c. 90 A.D).
Modern Miracles of the Holy Eucharist
At the Parish Church of Saint Mary in Chirattakonam, India, the Church began their annual Novena to St. Jude Thaddeus on April 28 2001. At 8:49am, the priest exposed the Most Holy Sacrament in the monstrance for public adoration. After a few moments they saw what appeared to be three dots in the Holy Eucharist. They prayed to the host for a while and then it was placed secure in the tabernacle. The priest then went to the Archbishop to inform him about what happened. When he returned to the parish and opened the tabernacle, it had developed further. The Eucharist did not only have three red dots but a face crowned with a crown of thorns. It is suggested that the three red dots refer to the three wounds St. Thomas asked to see of Jesus before he would believe he rose from the dead, a thought compounded by the fact that this was the reading of the day. The Eucharist remains there to this day and is often adored by the faithful (Callum, 2016).
In a related development, in 1996, the parish of Saint Mary in Buenos Aires, Argentina, discovered that the host was bleeding after consecration. In fact, it became human tissue. After several intense studies, it was found that the tissue was part of a heart, a muscle of the myocardium, the left ventricle, the muscle that gives life to the whole heart and body. The tissue revealed further that it belonged to a person who had gone through intense pain, experiencing extended periods of time where he could barely breathe, had immense strain put on the heart (both common feature of crucifixion) and had been stabbed in the left side. Despite the fact this should have killed the person, the tissue showed signs of being ‘alive.’ This was evidenced by intact white blood cells being found in the tissue. This showed the heart sample was pulsating as elsewise the white blood cells would have disintegrated roughly 15 minutes outside of a living body. Interestingly, the Archbishop who commissioned the research was none other than Pope Francis (Callum, 2016).
Pastoral Lessons
1. Be in Communion with God: What this means is that like Jesus, we have a body which needs to be daily fed with the Eucharist if it must be in constant union with God, the Holy Communion becomes a remedy for sin and death.
2. Drink the Chalice of Salvation: Since Jesus’ sacrifice puts an end to the sacrifices of rams and bulls, we are invited to key into the new and everlasting covenant by drinking from the chalice of salvation to as to be freed from the malice of sin.
3. Be Obedient to God’s Summons: Jesus’ real presence in body, soul and divinity provides us with quality assurance that our souls shall take on immortality if we are obedient to his summons (Cf. Rev. 3:20).
4. Share the Divine Life: By sharing his body, blood and soul with us, Jesus urges us to constantly receive the Eucharist as a way of sharing in the divine life with him.
5. Care for Others: Wisdom demands that after we are strengthened by the Eucharist, we are expected to care for those at the margins of society.
Summary Lines
1. Our first reading reveals how Elijah was tired, hungry and frustrated.
2. In the second reading, St. Paul reminds us that Christ gave “himself up in our place as a fragrant offering…”
3. He counsels all to be patient and calm with others by forgiving them as God forgave us in Christ Jesus.
4. The gospel presents us with an expose on the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
5. Because of the controversy among the Jews about the real presence, Jesus cautioned his audience against grumbling.
Conclusion
We have seen that the celebration of the Holy Mass is a miniature eschatological feast. Since the Church through the apostles, early Christians, and Church Fathers has handed over this teaching to us, we have a duty to preserve it. Those who are communicants must assess the quality of their lives based on the Liturgy for Life. This is why St. Paul insists that we live by the spirit.
Non-communicants ought to make hay while the sun shines. It behoves on us to seek wisdom, act intelligibly and not behave like senseless people who are invited to a great feast but either failed to turn up or didn’t wear the wedding garment of righteousness. May God help us to receive and adore Christ who is present in the Blessed Eucharist in body, blood, soul and divinity both now and forever. Amen!
Subscribe to our newsletter for latest news and updates. You can disable anytime.