Homily for the Feast of Corpus Christi
Remember. It is the first word out of the mouth of Moses when he addressed the Israelites (Dt 8:2-3). He said the to the Israelites:
Remember how when you were lost, the Lord led you out of the desert.
Remember how when you were thirsty the LORD gave you water from a flinty rock.
Remember how when you were hungry, the LORD gave you manna from heaven.
Remember. We have come here today for one reason: to remember.
Cases of the Covid-19 continue to increase. Riots are breaking out in the streets. Many are afraid to go outside, much less come to Mass. For forty days the government has imposed restriction or work, shop and travel. We sit at home in isolation wondering what the world will look like when we finally emerge, afraid of what the world will look like when we finally emerge.
We come to Mass to remember. We are beginning to forget what God is like. We are beginning to forget what God can do. We are beginning to forget God.
A pandemic is evil. Racism is evil. Police brutality is evil. We somehow think we can conquer evil with masks, vaccines, sanitizer and better training. Those are all good. But to conquer evil, we need God. In other words, we need to spend more time on our knees in prayer than on the couch watching the news.
Moses was speaking to a people who had been in the desert not for just forty days, but for forty years. They were hungry, tired, and thirsty. Their survival was threatened every day by the hostile environment and by hostile nations. Death and disease were commonplace.
Out of all of the words of encouragement that Moses could have said to a people who were fed-up and afraid, he chose to say one word: remember. He didn’t say, “It will be ok.” “We’re going to get through this.” “Hang in there.” “Try a little harder.” Instead, he said “remember”.
Remember what God is like. Remember what God can do. Remember God.
This is your desert time and mine. Heed the words of Moses. Remember how the hand of God guided you through all of the other times of trial and distress. Remember that God has always been faithful to you.
Remember and do not forget!
Do not forget who was with you when you wandered in the desert of your life!
Do not forget who rescued you from slavery to the cruel overlords of your life!
Do not forget who saved you from your afflictions, the serpents and scorpions, that nipped at your heels throughout your life!
Do not forget who gave you the life-giving water flowing from a parched, dry relationship.
Do not forget who fed you when you were hungry, who filled you when you were empty, cured you when you were sick, and who strengthened you when you couldn’t take one more step.
Moses led the Israelites on a journey through the desert to the promised land. In the same manner, Jesus is guiding us through the desert of your life’s experiences, including this current pandemic, into the promised land of heaven.
God gave the Israelites manna, the bread from heaven, to sustain them on their journey in the desert. Jesus has given us the Eucharist, the bread of life, to sustain us on pilgrimage through this desert all the way into everlasting life.
In giving us Eucharist, Jesus focuses on the same word: remember or remembrance.
After he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” [In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.]” 1 Cor 11:24-35
Remember is a key word in the Lord’s command, “Do this. Do this in remembrance of me.”
This is a special type of remembering, we might call it biblical remembering. What we remember becomes active in our life today. We might even break it down to re-membering. Biblical remembering is an important component in making God present in our own lives today.
When we remember the many ways God rescued us from danger, comforted us in times of great suffering, or found us when we were lost, we make God’s saving power active in our present struggles. When we remember God’s saving hand, we bring God into the midst of our present danger, suffering, or confusion.
When Jesus says “Do this in remembrance of me”, he is not asking us to go think about what he did 2000 years ago. Jesus is saying, “Remember how I sacrificed my body so that you might life, today. Remember how I shed my blood for you and paid the price for your sins, today. Remember how my death rescued you from darkness and brought you into light, today. Remember how I gave you food for the journey to everlasting life, today.”
Jesus is saying, “By remembering, I am still here with you: rescuing you when you’re lost, saving you when you’ve sinned, healing you when you’re wounded, walking with you in this dark valley and guiding you to the clear, mountain heights.”
This is a one-word homily. Remember. Remember all the ways God has guided you throughout your life. Invite God to continue to give you the strength, courage, and grace you need to get through this present time.