The Solemnity of Corpus Christi

Dear Friends,

Happy Solemnity of Corpus Christi! On this amazing feast, we celebrate the mystery and profound gift of Christ’s Body and Blood, present to us in the Eucharist. This is such a mystical feast that it can feel overwhelming--what can we say about a miracle so miraculous and otherworldly? What I want to say about it is simply this: God loves us so, so much.

Have you ever felt such a profound affection for someone that you want to just eat them up? Have you ever loved someone so deeply, so completely, that you want there to be absolutely no space or distance between the two of you? That is how God loves us! Jesus looks at each one of us with such an all-consuming depth of love that he says “Take and eat, this is my body and blood, given for you.”

When Jesus came to save us, he didn’t come barreling down on a cloud of fire, lording his Godship over us and scaring us into submission. He sought intimacy with us, walking with us as a friend, taking on our brokenness and suffering to the extent of giving his very life out of love for us. Sometimes we might think, “well sure, the disciples had intimacy with Jesus because he was actually with them, but he’s not here anymore.” But this could not be further from the truth! Even after ascending to the Father, Jesus continues to seek such powerful closeness and intimacy with us through the Eucharist. He invites us to consume his very self, to take him in so that there is no separation between us, no distance between lover and beloved.

Today we pause to celebrate and meditate on this act of love that is beyond comprehension. That the God of the Universe loves us so much that he humbles himself, coming in the form of bread and wine, just to be close to us and to dwell within us.