The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Fr. Botzet
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In the last four months it seems we have experienced a spiritual desert.
A desert journey that has been a test for us.
The desert wilderness referred to in Deuteronomy was a place filled with wild beast that could harm you. If people could survive in this desert it was normally the nomads or people who did not belong to a tribal group. The desert was a place were the exiled people were sent for not being obedient.
The desert wilderness was a scary place to be.
We have experienced a similar situation in the last four months with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Like the people we hear about in the first reading many of us have experienced the affliction of being hungry for the Eucharist.
Many have told me, this spiritual communion is not the same.
Maybe this Spiritual Communion is like the mana that came down from Heaven.
The mana did not sustain life.
In the book of wisdom we hear this mana was the bread that came from the angels.
In listening to my parishioners, it seemed like spiritual communion was unknown to us.
While the bread of life we hear about in John’s Gospel///that is Jesus.
Also came down from heaven, but it gives us eternal life.
Notice, that Jesus’s body and blood opens the way to paradise.
How could it be that we cannot receive our Lord who is physically present in the Eucharist during a time of pandemic when we most needed Him?
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.
This pandemic seems to be a test for us.
Last fall it was reported that many people attend Mass, but they do not believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
I wonder what those people have experienced in these last four months?
It seems to me that God is trying tell us something with this pandemic.
The goal of the test was to teach the people that God continually supplies us with what we need.
These divine provisions that come from places and informs that are not expected.
We are called to have a greater faith and reliance in God.
Especially in these times of uncertainty.
With this test God is asking each and everyone of us what is the reason that you come to Mass?
What is your intention?
Why are you attending Mass?
If you have come to Mass just because of Me,
Fr. Botzet you have come for the wrong reason.
If you have come to Mass for Fr. Botzet’s homily. Well, that was mighty charitable of you.
Very humbling I must say.
You are here for the wrong intention.
In my personal opinion the homily is over rated.
Because it is over shadowed by the source and summit of our faith that is the Eucharist.
My brother’s and sister’s you have come to Mass to be fed by the word of God and by receiving His body and blood in the Eucharist.
That is the reason why we go to Mass.
We come to experience a piece of heaven that comes down to Earth.
We come to experience God.
We are told do not forget the Lord.
A Lord who cares for us.
The most important reason why we are at Mass is what we find in John’s Gospel today!
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
The most important reason for attending Mass is for the salvation of our souls.
So that we can have union with God,
when our earthly life is done.
John tells us “The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
Unfortunately, many people do not believe that.
They do not believe that Jesus is present in the Eucharist.
Yet, there have been many Eucharistic miracles that have occurred.
Proving Jesus is present.
Were the bread has turned into physical recognizable flesh and blood.
The blood type has been tested and it matches the blood type found on the shroud of Turin. That was the burial cloths that wrapped Jesus while he was in the tomb.
The flesh of the Eucharist has been tested to match the tissue found in the heart muscle.
There has been many of these miracles.
Yet, we still have a high number of people who do not believe that Jesus is present in the Eucharist that we receive.
During this test of the pandemic hopefully we have experienced an emptiness of missing our Lord in the Eucharist.
I pray that people will be longing for the Eucharist because they missed our Lord. Hoping that they are hungry for both the word and Jesus presence in the Eucharist.
That is the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.
May we now turn our attention to our Lord as we prepare to celebrate His coming at this altar.
The bread that comes down from Heaven. The body and blood that will nourish us for the salvation of our souls.