The Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) – Year B
Readings:
Ex 24:3-8
Heb 9:ll-l5
Mk l4:l2-l6,22-26
Homily
Christ’s Bodies, Christ’s Blood
“Take, this is my body …. Take, this is my blood” (MK)
Jesuit Ignacio Eiiacuria of El Salvador, Franciscan Maximilian Koibe of Poland, Sr Rani Maria and Australian missionary Graham Staines murdered in north India, appear very diverse in their lifestyles, yet, little divided them in death. All these are martyrs who shed their blood that others might live. They represent modern ‘bodies of Christ’. Today, celebrating the feast of the body and blood of Christ (traditionally, Corpus Christi), we could reflect on the sacramental symbols of blood and body and our Christian calling.
Blood symbolizes life (see Lev 17:1 1, 14). in order to obtain life from the gods, religious communities perform blood- sacrifices. Some years ago, the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa, earned the ire of many communities when she announced a ban on animal sacrifices. On account of stiff opposition and protests, the ban had to be revoked. The Bible has innumerable accounts of animal sacrifices either to thank God for favours received or to atone for sins committed. Underlying blood sacrifices is the belief that the death of a victim has a finality about it, which imposes on the offer and the deity obligations to fulfill the commitments implied in the sacrifice. Today’s first reading illustrates this.
The Old Covenant between Yahweh and the Israelites was ratified with the blood of animals. The first reading describes this scene where Moses sprinkles blood against the altar (symbolizing God’s presence) and over the people. After hearing the demands from the Book of the Covenant, the people cry in unison, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!”
The second reading (Hebrews) and the gospel (Mark) again refer to blood and Covenant, but, differ from the first on three points: first, the mediator between God and humankind is no longer some animal, but some body, Jesus. Second, in the New Covenant, the victim is the same as the offerer, since Jesus appears before God “with his own blood.” This reading from Hebrews refers to the ‘Day of Atonement’ festival (Lev l 6) when the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies with the blood of animals signifying atonement for the people’s sins. But evangelist Mark records Jesus saying, “This is my blood of the covenant.” Thirdly, while the people play a passive role in the Old Covenant, Jesus actively announces the New Covenant with a breaking of his body and the shedding of his blood – a “once and for all” holocaust that restores, reconciles and redeems.
At every Eucharist, the Corpus Christi called ‘Church’ assembles to be nourished by Christ’s body and blood. Rather than any sprinkling of blood, there is a drinking of blood. Drinking from the same cup, we become ‘blood brothers” or ‘blood sisters’, so to say. And just as parents feed their children with different types of breads like chappatis or dhosos or tortillas, Jesus feeds his sisters and brothers with the sacramental bread, broken and shared – our ‘family food’. This Eucharistic meal reminds us: (a) of Jesus washing his disciples feet, (b) of his love-commandment, and (c) of his total self-gift at Calvary.
Some years ago, the Jesuit philosophers of Satya Nilayam, in south India, formed a group called ‘blood brothers’ comprising of students who were willing to regularly donate blood. indeed, we are all truly ‘blood brothers and sisters’ saved by the supreme sacrifice of our Elder Blood Brother, Jesus. Moreover, martyrs like Ellacuria, Kolbe, Staines and Rani Maria are but representative of a long list of ‘blood brothers and sisters’ whose life was truly Eucharistic. May the Corpus Christi called ‘Church’ be ever willing to break itself and blood in selfless service of society at large.
