Body and Blood of Christ - Homily 3

Homily 3 - 2013

Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim his death until he comes again.  Is that what you are doing? Is that why you’re here? - proclaiming his death? - the most publicly degrading way they knew to kill a person.  For Jesus, though, his death had another meaning.  He saw his death as his life deliberately laid down for us, his blood bringing about a whole new relationship with God – not new from God’s point of view, but, certainly, from ours.  We believe that it worked – we believe that his death met with God’s response of raising him from that death.  They got rid of him; but he will come again.  That is what we are proclaiming here, now, today.  That is why we are here! We’re remembering.  As Paul said in the Second Reading, we’re doing this in memory of him.  We believe that his blood is the blood of the new covenant, the new relationship between God and me, and you, and the whole of humanity, that is, with each other.

Covenant is Paul’s language.  The Gospels hardly speak about covenant at all. They speak more about the Kingdom – as we heard today.  When the Gospel writers told today’s story from the life of Jesus, they deliberately pushed the buttons that remind us of Eucharist, of what we are up to here today: he took the bread, said the blessing, broke the bread and handed it over.  

But not just those words; the whole story reminds us of Eucharist. He made the crowds welcome. Who were the crowds, by the way? Where do you find a crowd of 5000+ on a weekday? They must have been out of a job – unemployed, some, probably unemployable – the ones doing it hard, out on the edges, struggling to eat, even to survive, discounted nobodies, always missing out.  He made the crowds welcome.

And then, He talked to them about the coming Kingdom.  He said that things could be radically different, should be radically different, would be radically different if they listened to him, took to heart what he said, and began to live like him.  Remember? Blessed are you poor! Blessed are you who are doing it hard! You won’t miss out – The Kingdom of heaven is yours!  But, the Kingdom won’t just come down, ready-made, from heaven.  “Everyone has to change”, said Jesus – “and I shall show you how.  Like me, give your lives for others.  Everyone has a dignity.  You have a dignity.  Your lives are worth giving, giving in love, giving out of profound respect for anyone, giving – forgiving! Don’t write yourselves off as useless.  And, don’t be absorbed just in yourselves, your needs, your suffering.”

Jesus’ interaction with the disciples is instructive.  They said: “Send the people away! Let them look after themselves.  They can go to the villages and farms round about and find food and lodging”.  [What chance would they have had of that!!!]  Jesus said: “You give them something to eat yourselves”.  They said: “We haven’t got enough”.  Jesus said: “That will do! Give!!”

Give was what Jesus did.  That is what Jesus always did! That is what Jesus is doing today – giving: This is my body, which is for you.  Not much – a broken, crucified body, just like a loaf of bread pulled to pieces so it could be eaten together – but given.  That is what we are proclaiming – and will keep on proclaiming until he comes again!