Corpus Christi Sunday

June 7, 2026

Matthew 5:13-16

We have often heard the phrase, “You are what you eat.” This is certainly true; what we eat and drink can strengthen with a healthy body, and there a healthy soul, or it can weaken us, sometime to the point where neither body or soul function well. But when we take care of our body, our soul can thrive, and we are able to accomplish much. This even more so when we eat and drink the body of the Lord. An example of this for us to consider the life of St. Damien of Molokai. He saw a great connection between his celebration of the Eucharist and his work with the lerpers of Molokai.

Mahatma Gandhi once asked asked a question regarding Fr. Damien: “The political and journalistic world can boast of very few heroes who compare with Father Damien of Molokai. The Catholic Church, on the contrary, counts by the thousands those who after the example of Damien, have devoted themselves to the victims of leprosy. It is worthwhile to look for the sources of such heroism.” 

The important question is: What is the source of the heroism of people like St. Damien Veuster of Molokai and his successor, St. Marianne Cope? We get the answer this Sunday. In today’s readings, St. Paul tells how Jesus took bread and said, “This is my Body that is for you,” and with the chalice of wine, “This Cup is the New and Eternal Covenant in My Blood.” Then St. Paul concludes, “As often as you eat this Bread and drink this Cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.” When we receive Communion, the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord, Jesus, we mystically enter his death and Resurrection. That should give us the strength to spend our lives in service. Now, you and I are not St. Damien or St. Marianne, but the Eucharist calls us, like them, to give our lives for others. Our reception of the Body and Blood of Christ is not just a source giving personal holiness, but it is a source to transform us into Christ himself. 

So what does this concretely mean for us? This reception is to make us into Christ, and be his presence, his hands and feet, bring his action into our present world. We, oddly enough, are called more and more to being transformed into him.

It is interesting to note that often we wish that we had been alive when Jesus walked the earth. How much better we would have known him; how much more we would know and understand; how blessed we would be to have been in his presence and listened to his words; then we would have been so much closer to him.

And yet, it was only after Jesus died, arose, and ascended that he did the most for us; more than when he lived on earth before these events. It was only after he died and rose that our sins were forgiven; only after he rose did we become the very children of his Father; only after he rose did we become part of his very body; only after he ascended and sent his Holy Spirit did we really understand who Jesus was and what he wanted. And only now are we able to take Jesus whole being into ourselves as we receive his Body and Blood.

Only when we understood what he had done were we able to do what he wanted: to become part of his body and make him present in our world; to be nourished by him weekly or daily when receiving him at Mass. This is truly a greatest gift than being alive to maybe listen to him on earth; many who did that were not convinced as to who he was and what he wanted.

I think of a painting of Elijah on a mural in St. Joseph abbey refectory. It is of Elijah under that lone Broom tree wanting to die since Jezebel was trying to kill him. The angel come to him twice with bread and water and said to him: “Get up and eat; for your journey may be too much for you.” Today we celebrate one of Jesus greatest gifts to us: enabling us to take him physically into us; to nourish our spirit; to give us his life. If we take Jesus into our very selves, we can be his presence and bring a little of his Father’s Kingdom into being. Let us take the advice the angel gave to Elijah when he just wanted to give up and die: “Take and eat, for you journey may be too much for you.” But fortified with Jesus’ Body and Blood, our journey will be completed as the Father would want. It is a question of our transformation.

So what does this concretely mean for us? This reception of his Body and Blood is to make us into Christ, and be his presence, his hands and feet, bring his action into our present world. We, oddly enough, are called more and more to being transformed into him.

Fr. John Tran