livingtheword

Discussion Guide: Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

Reflection Questions:

• The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) began as a response to increased devotion to the real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in the 12th Century. This led to a desire to ‘see’ Jesus in the consecrated elements. In 1220 in Paris the practice of elevating the host began.

• God’s journey with his people in the desert involved difficulties but also God’s providence and care. You were bhungry and I fed you with manna – ‘a food unknown to you’. (See Ex 16). Providing food is a basic expression of care for your children. It creates a bond. And yet they soon grew tired of this ‘manna’. It became taken for granted. How could you reawaken a deeper sense of appreciation for God feeding us with the Word and the Body and Blood of Jesus at mass? Is it ‘normal’ or ‘special’? How?

• There were many temples in the city of Corinth. It was ‘normal’ to take food and offer it to various ‘god’s and pledge allegiance to them. St Paul writes this is not to happen with christians. At the sacred meal (Eucharist) we participate in and receive the blood of Christ and the body of Christ. It is not right to then join your body with worship to other ‘altars’ and ‘demons’ (1Cor 10,21). Is my communion with Jesus real or superficial? Does my life-style show I have many ‘gods’ and ‘altars’ that I worship at? What change and purification may be necessary in my life?

• Moses was greatly revered for ‘feeding’ people with bread from heaven (1st Reading). Jesus now replaces Moses and this ‘event’ with his body. ‘Heavenly Bread’ is now replaced with ‘flesh’. It is no accident that the words flesh and blood are repeated 10 times in this text. How can this man give us his flesh to eat is a question that leads to layers of questions. Is Jesus a ‘man’ or the Divine Son of God? Is the real question ‘how’ can this happen or ‘who’ is making this promise? Do you believe in these words? This promise? What the Mass brings into the life of the world and the Church and offers personally to you?

• Meditate / reflect on these scriptural lines and allow a conversation to begin with God.

• The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world….
• My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink….
• Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you….
• Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in them…..

• Is your experience of the Eucharist one of looking, sitting, getting or becoming? Does it progress from Sunday into Monday…?

• What is one action that you will do to ‘livetheword’ this week?