6.17.20 - Corpus Christi - the Body, Blood, and eternal presence of Christ

Greetings women and men of the Light! Below is the Recap of Corpus Christi. Since we are also tackling the Holy Trinity, we began discussing the Son, the Logos. I will post that separately after this. Here we go!

Corpus Christi is a celebration body and blood of Christ. The Last Supper is a solemn event when reading it during Holy Week. Now it is a joyful celebration since we are looking back at it through the lens of what Jesus accomplished at Pentecost, and forward to the Lord’s eternal, Trinitarian presence in the Eucharist.

Gospel Reading: John 6:51-58

Setting: Jesus was preaching in Capernaum just after feeding 5000 with a few loaves and fishes; it was also the Passover season.

"I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?"

Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, 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 has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."

Yes, this is tough language, but it easier to understand when you consider the history of "bread" in Jewish religious rituals and also the Trinitarian aspect of what Jesus is saying. As to the language he uses, it is obviously not speaking symbolically. As to the Trinitarian meaning, consider this:

The air and water compounds say to the plant, if you eat me, I will become part of you, and we will grow together. The plant says to the animals, if you eat me, I will become part of you, and we will grow together.

These are merely earthly terms. As they relate to Jesus' statements and the Last Supper, it is part of our invitation into the 7th Day. The bread and wine is Jesus' life of the Trinity asking us the same question. To become one with us in body and soul, starting in this life.

Q: We know that the Last Supper was the New Passover and the New Exodus. What are the connections?

A: Lamb, Blood, Manna

Q: What was the meaning of each?

A1: Let's start with the blood.

First Passover: To the Jews, blood was considered “life.” They Israelites were not allowed to even taste the blood of animals because the animal’s life belonged to God. However, for the first Passover, the blood (signifying life) was put on their doorposts so that the Angel of Death would “pass over” them. Second, the ritual of sprinkling of the animal’s blood on the altar was considered a form of justification (removal of sins). Third, in biblical times blood was also important for agreements and covenants because it staked one’s life on the oath being taken.

Last Supper: The giving of Jesus’ blood (= life) was the justification (wiping out of sins) of humanity; but the wine (blood) he shared with his Apostles was also a sharing of his life in the Trinity.

A2: LAMB:

First Passover: the Lamb (had to be unblemished) was sacrificed for one’s sins. Just as the

sprinkling of the blood was a kind of justification, the burning of the animal was a kind of sanctification, with the healing aroma going up to God. Whereas in pagan sacrifices offerings were completely burned, Yahweh required burnt offerings to Him to be eaten by the Jews, as He considered their redeemed state a mystical, albeit temporary, reunion with Him; temporary because man was never completely sin-free, requiring daily sacrifices at the Tabernacle (later at the Temple) for the next 1300 years.

Last Supper: Jesus gives his sinless (unblemished) body/flesh for the life of the world. He transforms the bread and wine into his glorified body and blood to share with us. In this way, he can be present with everyone, everywhere in the world to the end of time.

(Manna will be covered below)

Second Reading (Paul): 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?

The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

Note that in both the questions, Paul uses the word "participation," not representation. Secondly, he speaks of unity. All the grains come together as one loaf. The role and essence of the Holy Spirit is Love and Unity. The Trinity is about unity. Everything we do with love yields unity. Everything we do that is not with love yields division. Humans are much better at dividing than uniting, but uniting is what we have been called to do.

OT Reading: Deuteronomy 8:2-3

Note: Deuteronomy means “copy of the law,” which is appropriate since it recaps the various laws already set forth and brings to a close to the first four books of the bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. It was also written much later than the others. It consists of three long addresses by Moses telling them how to succeed in the future with the Lord. Moses delivered these speeches to the Israelites just before they entered Canaan, after which Moses died (Moses did not enter Canaan).

Remember how for these forty years the LORD, your God, has directed all your journeying in the wilderness, so as to test you by affliction, to know what was in your heart: to keep his commandments, or not.

He humbled you and allowed you to be hungry, and then fed you with manna, a food unknown to you and your fathers, that you might understand that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.

Q: Why are we being directed to this reading?

A: Because today’s Gospel reading speaks of Jesus being our food from heaven like the manna, so Jesus’ message must be juxtaposed over this story in order for us to understand its relevance.

Here is a depiction of the story of the Exodus from a literal perspective:

Old Testament Exodus Story

Slavery in Egypt --> Wandering in the Desert Wilderness --> Promised Land

(old ways/pagan gods) (letting go, testing, manna, faith) (to try living life with God)

Q: Why does Moses refer to the miraculous manna/bread on the one hand and then tell them they had to learn that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from God?

A: God uses hunger to take them on a journey of enlightenment. The Israelites got hungry and ultimately came to God for food. In providing them bread from heaven (manna), God taught them the value of depending on God (faith). Once they understood that God was the source of everything, they became more open to his instructions (and to leaving behind the Egyptian way of life, including depending on their pagan gods).

Their story in light of God’s teachings could be restated like this …

New Exodus Story

Earthly Captivity --> Journey to a Life with God --> Earthly Freedom/True Life

(sin/self-absorption) (learning to live life with the HS) (Heaven/Trinity)

Q: What New Testament connections do you see so far?

A1. Jesus’ comment to Satan while he was hungry and be tempted in the desert by Satan, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Mt 4:4)

A2. "I am the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever." (John 6 above)

Let's discuss Bread/Manna because this is very important:

First Exodus:

The Exodus from Egypt was not just a physical experience. It was also a faith journey, one that took 40 years. God used their need for nourishment to get their attention and combined it with a lesson on faith. So when the Israelites finally came to God for food, He provided them “miraculous bread from Heaven” called manna. It was the beginning of learning the value of depending on God – faith. Once they learned that God was the source of everything, they became more open to his instructions, and to leaving the Egyptian way of life behind, including their pagan gods.

This bread from heaven took on more significance because God instructed Moses to keep some of this bread on the golden table in the Tabernacle God instructed him to build. The bread was called “The Bread of the Presence.” During the entire 40 years in the desert and for the next 1300 years until the time of Christ, God instructed them to continue making the Bread of the Presence (BOTP) replaced it in the Tabernacle every Sabbath Day. As instructed by God, three times a year – Pentecost, Passover, and Festival of Tabernacles – the High Priest would bring the BOTP out to show the people, who would sing in prayer and praise. This Bread of the Presence foreshadowed the Eucharist.

At the Last Supper/Passover, Jesus transforms the bread and wine into his glorified body and blood to share with us. In this way, he can be present personally to everyone in the world, everywhere in the world, unto the end of time.

If we were to compare "praying" to calling your family over the telephone, then the Eucharist would be visiting your family in person. It is another level of Trinitarian involvement with humanity - the most profound one.

I will post Part 3 of the Holy Trinity - the Logos- next.

God bless!

Ron