A Spiritual Longing for the Eucharist

HOMILY: Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ 

Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

6 June 2021

Fr. Ricky Canet Montanez, AA 

I miss seeing our churches overflowing with people. Of course, the global health crisis has rendered us helpless in rectifying the situation, so we make do with what we can by God’s grace. Still, my heart sinks when I see only a handful of people at mass, knowing how vital the Eucharist is to the faith life of the church. Since public masses resumed, several parishioners have told me that they were moved to tears after receiving their first communion in months. (I have observed this myself over the past year.) I believe that these moments of epiphany are testimonies to the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Today we shall reflect on Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and then we shall talk about the relevance of this mystery in our life. 

This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, traditionally called in Latin as the feast of Corpus Christi (The Body of Christ).  We acknowledge and honor the wonderful gift of the Eucharist and its implication in our life as our spiritual nourishment. In the past Sundays, we have been contemplating on God’s desire to remain present to all of us even after Jesus’ Ascension. At the Feast of Pentecost, we reflected on the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of all believers. Last Sunday, we celebrated the reality of the Trinity and God’s role in our relationships as we foster communion among us. And now, we are made to appreciate the enduring presence of Christ in the Eucharist as the sign of the Covenant (a new covenant) in the blood of Jesus shed for us. Through the lasting gift of Himself made available to us — His sacred body and blood — Jesus continues to sustain, nourish and strengthen us to be true to what we all have become through Him — God’s beloved children. Through the Eucharist, Jesus remains present to us even after His death to be the life-giving presence that we count on throughout our life here on earth. 

As we participate in Holy Communion, we experience that unique sacramental presence of Christ received as nourishment in the form of bread and wine, as spiritual food in our journey through life. It only seems logical that we ought to receive communion with deep respect.  Yet how many times in our life have we taken this gift for granted? What is going through your mind when you are in line waiting for your turn? What do you do when you go back to your seat? Do you speak to Jesus as though you were alone in a room with Him and He had your full attention? Because that’s essentially it. Recall moments when you were overwhelmed by another person’s expression of love for you. Essentially, in Holy Communion, God is pouring out His love and mercy on you. In the person of Jesus, He intimately unites His Divine Self with your mortal being, filling you with the grace to be worthy of your divine inheritance. 

For this reason, saints and mystics are often enraptured when receiving communion and are always disposed with such humble reverence. A young man who died in 2006 at the age of 15 was so convinced of the True Presence of Jesus in the Sacred Species that he devoted his time and his talent to creating a website called Miracoli Eucaristici that presented a collection of testimonies of Eucharistic Miracles —accounts of hosts manifesting into pieces of living human flesh. It was clear to Blessed Carlo Acutis that he needed to share this important aspect of the Catholic faith with those who like him, were fully immersed in our digital age. To believe in the True Presence we essentially hope in our own transformation.  He once said: “The more Eucharist we receive, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on earth we will have a foretaste of heaven.” 

St Augustine once said “If we receive the Eucharist worthily, we become what we receive.” Even nutritionists today, tell us we are what we eat. In a way, it is true because what we put in our tummies is absorbed by our system and manifests in our bodies. In receiving communion, we receive Jesus and we have this opportunity to become more like Jesus. He is food for our souls that we may have strength to make the right choices. When our many concerns overwhelm us, some go to mass to draw strength from Jesus, His Word and the very gift of Himself broken and shared in the Eucharist.  Moreover, as we are nourished by Jesus through the Eucharist, we are challenged to become more and more a source of  nourishment for others. We are impelled to live the Christ-life by going out in service to the needs of others so Christ can continually be vibrantly present and active among His people in our world. It is in appreciation of this great gift that we pattern our lives on Jesus and His giving over of his body and blood for us all. 

Radio Veritas recently conducted a survey asking Filipino Catholics if they believe that the Holy Eucharist is indeed  “the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ” and not just a representation. Majority of those surveyed confirmed their belief in the core of the Catholic Christian faith — the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. This is indeed a highlight in our celebration of the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines! What does this mean to us at a time when  many of us are not privileged to receive the Eucharist sacramentally.  For now, many must content themselves with watching a mass from their homes. And I praise God that His Church remains alive in that sense but there looms the danger of finding this situation to be the more convenient and preferred mode of worship. The Church has been very clear that livestream and online masses are allowed to provide occasions for spiritual growth and to unite the faithful in prayer at this time when we cannot physically gather, but it is not meant to replace being present at Mass. We may be temporarily dispensed from Sunday obligation but joining a mass online still does not give us the opportunity to physically consume the Body and Blood of Christ.  Spiritual communion is just a temporary provision. In Filipino… “pantawid gutom lang siya”.  Kaya dapat nating asamin na makabalik at makadalo tayo sa banal na Eukaristiya sapagkat yan ang bilin at pamana sa atin ni Hesus. 

“Take and eat… This is My body.” (Mark 14:22) “Take and drink… This is My blood.” (Mark 14:24) Jesus is very direct.  He does not mince words. He is present. The Feast of Corpus Christi prompts us to look forward to the day we can be physically present at mass and to never extinguish our desire to be nourished by Jesus in Holy Communion. Ating ipagdasal na balang araw, sana sa lalong madaling panahon, magkita-kita tayong muli sa misa.

*Here are some of the ways you can help San Roque Parish, Fr. Ricky’s new parish assignment. 

Thru Bank Deposit:

Robinsons Bank: RCBC San Roque Parish

Account Number: 115230002492

For Checks: 

Please make checks payable to: 

RCBC San Roque Parish