The Profound Giving of Corpus Christi

Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem, meaning the ‘house of bread’ foreshadows Luke 9: 11-17—Jesus multiplying bread for the hungry, it further foreshadows the last supper, it foreshadows the Eucharist, it ultimately foreshadows the solemnity of the most holy Body and Blood of Jesus. The solemnity of the most holy Body and Blood of Jesus celebrates the real presence of Jesus in the consecrated bread and wine—in the Eucharist.

The Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Jesus, stands as a profound testament to an enduring act of boundless generosity. It is more than a mere commemoration; it is a sacred invitation to understand the very essence of a life lived in constant self-giving, culminating in the ultimate sacrifice. As the provided text illuminates, The Eucharist, the giving of his body and blood, happened in the last lap of Jesus’ race on earth. This crucial phrase invites us to look beyond the dramatic final moments and appreciate the countless, often unseen, acts of giving that preceded them.

A life of consistent giving forms the bedrock of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. Jesus' giving of his body and blood was not a singular heroic event, but a continuous race of selfless acts. The feeding of the hungry, as recounted in Luke 9:11-17, serves as a powerful precursor to the Eucharist. Here, Jesus did not just provide food; he empowered his disciples with a transformative command: "you give them something to eat." This wasn't merely about distributing provisions; it was a profound call to become part of the solution, to "becoming the food" ourselves. This act highlights a dual habit cultivated by Jesus: first, he had got used to giving what he had, give something of his own self; and second, he had got used to giving thanks to god or blessing and giving to others. These habits of personal sacrifice and grateful sharing laid the foundation for the ultimate giving of his Body and Blood in the last lap of his life.

Eucharist, body and blood of Jesus, Corpus Christi

The Eucharist, therefore, is not an isolated miracle but the culmination of a life dedicated to giving. It is the final, most intimate lap of Jesus' earthly race, where he took his body and blood, gave thanks to god, and gave it to them, and it has come down to us. This act, re-presented daily in the Eucharist, serves as a continuous renewal of the "habit or need of giving, and the depth of giving.

In a world prone to stagnation and the ossification of ancient traditions, Corpus Christi reminds us of the vital need for renewal. Many things that we do are all very old, most of our idols are cast long back. Most of our institutions are primitive institutions, like religion, family, including the Eucharist. It delivers a piercing truth: If you do not renew regularly, our god, our god idea, would eventually, even without our active role become evil. This underscores the critical importance of actively engaging with and re-evaluating our faith and its practices. Stagnation can indeed lead to corruption, turning even the most sacred concepts harmful.

Thus, the everydayness, Dailyness of the Eucharist is not a mere ritualistic repetition but a radical act of spiritual and moral renewal. It is the renewing of our giving. This daily embrace of the Eucharist pushes us beyond passive reception to active participation in the divine flow of generosity. It challenges us to examine our own giving, reminding us that even our giving can become prison for the other. True giving, therefore, must be an act of liberation, not constraint.

Corpus Christi, in its solemn beauty, calls us to an ongoing journey of transformation. It implores us to renew, restore, and reinvent God; renew, restore, and reinvent humanity; renew, restore, and reinvent perspectives and wisdom. This is the inspiring essence of the solemnity: a continuous invitation to deepen our understanding of giving, to actively participate in the divine life, and to constantly renew ourselves and our world through acts of profound, liberating generosity, just as Jesus did in every lap of his earthly race.

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