Acts 9:1-20, Psalm 117:1-2, John 6:52-59
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SURE REALISM
"My flesh is real food and My blood real drink." —John 6:55
The Bible speaks of Christ's body in a shockingly realistic way. Imagine a
live human being in front of you saying: "Eat My flesh and drink My
blood." This turned a lot of people off, but Jesus refused to change His
terminology. Holy Communion really is Jesus.
Jesus also spoke of His body the Church in a very realistic way. When Saul
was persecuting the Church, Jesus knocked him to the ground and said:
"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?" (Acts 9:4) Jesus said Saul was
persecuting Himself, not just a symbol of His body.
The Church is also in a very real way the body of Christ. This should give
us a new attitude toward the body of Christ and a desire to receive Jesus
in Communion daily. We should say with Paul: "All these were but a shadow
of things to come; the reality is the body of Christ" (Col 2:17). We
should love the Church and even give our lives for her (Eph 5:25). We
choose to be married or single based on how we can serve the Church. We
choose the religious or lay vocation for the same reason.
Our preoccupation is with Christ's body — Holy Communion and His body the
Church. The focal point of our day is to respond to the words "body of
Christ" with an "Amen" that permeates our lives and transforms the world.
Prayer: Father, may my next "Amen" before Communion be a radical
statement.
Promise: " 'I have been sent by the Lord Jesus Who appeared to you on the
way here, to help you recover your sight and be filled with the Holy
Spirit.' Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he
regained his sight. He got up and was baptized." —Acts 9:17-18
Praise: St. Adalbert was martyred while trying to share the good news of
the risen Jesus to the Prussians.
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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant my
permission to publish "One Bread, One Body" covering the period from April
1, 2010 through May 31, 2010
†Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of
Cincinnati, October 9, 2009
The rescript is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be
free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have
granted ecclesial permission agree with the contents, opinions, or
statements expressed.
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