(Corpus Christi 2020 (A): This homily was given on June 14,
2020 at St. Pius X Church, Westerly, R.I., by Fr. Raymond Suriani. Read Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16; Psalm
147:12-20; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; John 6:51-58.)
[For the audio version of this homily, click here: Corpus Christi 2020]
In one of his newsletters, Fr. Frank Pavone, the national
director of Priests for Life, wrote the following:
Did you ever realize that the same four words that were used by the Lord Jesus to save the world are also used by some to promote abortion? “This is my body.” The same simple words are spoken from opposite ends of the universe, with meanings that are directly contrary to each other.
That’s a very perceptive insight—but it doesn’t just apply
to abortion. Think, for example, of the
terrorists of 9/11—or the terrorists who’ve blown themselves up in other
locations of the world, and who’ve taken a lot of innocent people with
them. This has been their attitude, has
it not? They say, “This is my body, and
if I want to use it to fly a passenger plane into a skyscraper in New York City,
I’ll do that.” “This is my body, and if
I make the choice to blow it up (and kill some of my enemies in the process)
that’s my business.”
Or how about those who want to end their lives because of a
serious illness, or old age, or just because they’re tired of this earthly
existence? These people also say, “This
is my body.” They say, “This is my body,
and I’ll kill it if I want to—or I’ll call some progressive ‘doctor’ to help me
do it.”
Or how about those who engage in pre-marital sex, or
extra-marital sex, or homosexual activity?
How about those who use artificial contraception? When these sins are pointed out to people who
are committing them, what do they often say?
They say, “Hey, this is my body, and I’ll do whatever I want with
it. Who are you to impose your morality
on me?”
Or how about those who live selfish, materialistic lives—who
don’t care at all about the poor and the less fortunate? They also say, “This is my body.” They say, “This is my body—and my number one
priority. My biggest concern in life is
to take care of myself and my
personal needs. Let those others worry
about themselves.”
Sadly we’ve also seen this evil, self-centered attitude
rear its ugly head a number of times in our nation just in the past couple of
weeks—especially in the riots that have taken place in the wake of George Floyd’s
death. There have been peaceful protests
around the country, of course, and those have been fine. They’re an expression of the freedom of
speech that we enjoy as Americans. But some
of these events, as we all know, have ended up being riots, not protests. That’s because some of the participants have accepted
the idea that they can legitimately do whatever they want to do with their
bodies! “It’s my body, and if I want to
use it to burn police cars, and destroy businesses, and break windows and loot
stores, I will do that.”
These rioters should know better! They have no excuse. They should know better because this is
precisely the evil attitude that they’re supposedly so upset about! You see, this was the attitude—the mindset—that
the police officer, Derek Chauvin, had when his knee was firmly planted on
George Floyd’s neck: “This is my body, Mr. Floyd, and if I want to use it to
asphyxiate you and beat you and maybe even kill you, then I will do that.”
And he did. What a
disgrace! Thank God most of our law
enforcement personnel are not like that.
All of these examples should make it clear, my brothers and
sisters: we are living right now in what I would call an “anti-eucharistic
society”. You see, when Jesus said those
words at the Last Supper—“This is my body”—he was speaking in a spirit of self-giving
love and selfless obedience: “This is
my body, which is given for you.”
In all those examples I gave a few moments ago, people are
saying “This is my body,” not in selfless obedience, but rather in selfish disobedience! In other words they’re saying the very same
sentence that Jesus said, but with an anti-eucharistic attitude—in a vain
attempt to justify their disobedience to the Lord. In today’s gospel text from John, chapter 6, Jesus
says, “The bread I will give is my flesh, for
the life of the world…. Whoever eats my flesh
and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.” Our Lord offered his Body—his life—on the
cross, not for himself, but so that
you and I might receive forgiveness for our sins and live forever!
And he gives us his Body and Blood in the Blessed Sacrament
to sustain us on our journey to his eternal kingdom. This means that, if we want to receive the Eucharist
fruitfully and worthily, we need to come to Holy Communion with the very same
attitude in our hearts that Jesus had in his.
At the consecration of the Mass the priest repeats the words of Jesus:
“This is my body, which is given for you.”
When communion time comes and we walk up the aisle to receive the Body
and Blood of the Lord, our attitude is supposed to be, “Jesus, yes, I believe
this is your body. But now, Lord, I
bring to you my body. This is my body and I give it to you,
Jesus. And I ask you to fill me with your
presence today through this Eucharist, so that I will live, not in selfish
disobedience, but so that I will live as you lived Lord—in selfless and in loving
obedience to the heavenly Father.” My
brothers and sisters, if every Catholic received the Eucharist with that
disposition of heart every single Sunday and holy day, we would soon change the
world. May the change begin today—and
may it start with us.