The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Homily)

May 29, 2016 9:00 am  · Deacon Bob Carey

Homilies, Easter

Today we celebrate The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi in Latin. This is the last Sunday that is connected to Easter time. It may be appropriate that we focus on the Holy Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ which we receive every time we come to a Mass.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to the Holy Eucharist as the source and summit of the Catholic faith.  It's the highest point of our faith, and we come to receive the Eucharist at the later part of the Mass, that's the highest point of our day!  Really?  We almost take it for granted because we do it so often, don't we?  God's greatest gift to us is the Holy Eucharist.  Many of the Saints have written about the sacrament, St Thomas Aquinas says there is nothing greater than to receive the Holy Eucharist.  Saint Alphonsus Liguori when he talks about the Eucharist, he says, "Next to receiving the Holy Eucharist the greatest thing we can do is come and spend time in adoration in before the Blessed Sacrament."  To take a half an hour of your day to sit in the presence of the Lord.