June 18, 2017

Homily 18 June 2017: Solemnity of Corpus Christi

God’s Humility and Ours

Msgr. Thomas Gervasio

Voltaire was a cynical, irreverent and controversial French writer of the 18 ^th Century, especially when it came to Catholicism. He wrote: “The Eucharist is a monstrous superstition, the ultimate foolishness of priests and the stupidity of believers.” He would have us believe that the Eucharist, which we especially honor on this Solemnity of Corpus Christ or Corpus Domini is an absurd and untenable mystery. And yet, very rational, intellectual people placed their faith in the Eucharist, truly believing in the Lord’s Real Presence. They firmly held that the Eucharist is not a mere symbol, but Jesus Himself, present in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. They knew that the Eucharist was not “something” but indeed “someone.”
 
We can look to Blaise Pascal. It is said that this mathematician, physicist and philosopher waited to receive Viaticum (his last Holy Communion) with tears in his eyes and with a yearning so strong that it amazed those at his bedside.
 
Andre-Marie Ampere’ known as the “Newton of Electricity” would kneel for such a long time on a bare pavement before the Eucharist that one of his students, Alexander Volta, himself a celebrated pioneer in the field of electricity (He invented the battery) undertook personally the preparation of his children for their first Holy Communion.
 
Louis Pasteur, the celebrated scientist in the field of bacteria and infectious diseases would go to confession regularly in order to receive Holy Communion worthily and devoutly.
 
Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of the radio would spend long hours in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
 
There scientists were not naïve but rational, convinced, coherent and intelligent believers.
 
Today’s solemnity seeks to deepen our own faith in the Eucharist. It seeks to increase our sense of what St. John Paul II called “Eucharistic amazement” in the gift that Jesus Himself gave us at the Last Supper.
 
So often, a gift reveals something of the giver. What does the Eucharist reveal about God? Cardinal Angelo Comastri tells us that the Eucharist reveals the humility of God. His Eminence observed, “If God were proud he would have given us a completely different gift. He would have made himself present in a spectacular or dramatic way.” But in His humility, God comes to us in the simplicity of bread and wine—simple elements of our table.
 
St. Francis of Assisi would become very emotional when he meditated on this truth. We so often think of St. Francis’ love of God’s creation, but his influence of the Church was far greater. Of the Eucharist, Francis, a deacon wrote: “Let man be seized with fear; let the whole world tremble; let heaven exult when Christ the Son of the Living God, is on the altar in the hands of the priest. O admirable height and stupendous condescension! O humble sublimity! O sublime humility…that the Lord of the universe…the Son of God, so humbles Himself that for our salvation He hides Himself under a morsel of bread.”
 
This tremendous gift also teaches us something about ourselves—that without humility we cannot encounter God. We must remember our own poverty, our smallness, our weakness before encountering Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
 
This is why we

• Acknowledge our sins and implore God’s mercy as Mass begins.
• Observe a fast from food or drink for one hour before Holy Communion
• Make a sacramental confession a regular part of our preparation for Communion.

 
There is something wrong when we receive the Eucharist, week after week while the last time we have gone to confession may have been many years ago! It is very possible to become all too familiar with the Eucharist and slowly lose our sense of reverence.
 

• Bow before receiving the Sacred Host and Precious Blood and respond “Amen” (So be it!) That response is our act of faith and no other response is needed.
• Take time after receiving Communion for prayer…to thank the Lord and speak to Him about the joys and struggles of life. We have so much for which to pray…so many for whom to pray. How sad it is to see so many barely swallowing the Eucharist already have the key in their ignition to take off. Can we not give the Lord a few extra minutes?

On this great feast, let us marvel at the Lord’s humility and consider how He wishes to come to us despite our lowliness, our weakness! Let us consider too, this humility and never take His gift for granted. May routine never be the death of our reverence.
 
I recall the moving words of a hymn I have sung since my childhood:

We adore you, O Host Divine!
We adore you, O Host of Love!
You are the breath of angels, the honor of mankind!
You are the delight of the strong, the strength of the weak!
You are the health of the living, the hope of the dying!
The joy of every heart!