Body and Blood

A Reflection on the Gospel for June 6th, 2021:
​The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

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Mark
14.12-16, 22-26

On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, the disciples said to Jesus, “Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”

So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my Body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, “This is my Blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
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Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

What does it take to trust someone's word? 

Jesus spent a lot of time with His disciples. Three years in close proximity to the ones He chose, praying, laughing, and grieving with them; sharing meals, ministry, and miracles. Days and weeks alongside Him led to three years of relational legacy, built with bricks of His reliability, constancy, and Godliness, laid brick by brick with a mortar of established trust. I imagine it was very important to Jesus to focus a large part of His time demonstrating His trustworthiness to those closest to Him.

It shows in today's gospel. Strangely, what struck me here was the mature and quiet intimacy of the Disciples’ trust in Jesus over a simple, procedural matter. Having asked Jesus where to get ready for Passover, Jesus gives them a concise but rather lengthy set of directions; a list of small and tactical tasks which seems sort of pointless to the casual observer: Go here, find a man, follow him, ask the owner of the house this question, find the guest room furnished and ready...

If they had doubts, the scripture does not say. They engage His request, not anxious or aggrieved. We don't really hear about it because it all occurs as Jesus directed: “So the disciples set out [...] and found everything as he had told them.” 

It was as He said. It is always as He says it is — in all things, big and little.

There is a reason for this. Despite the day's seemingly mundane instructions, I doubt they were random. Jesus is intentional. He understood it was vital to gain the trust of His disciples, because trust fosters intimacy, and intimacy with us is what He desires. Making good on His word in something small was yet another investment in a bank of dependability, another deposit in the accumulation of relational capital. All this has laid the foundation for a climax of faith to occur that evening. This night is not small. Tonight He will propose something big upon which all else hinges.

The Last Supper is spread. The Disciples have prepared the meal as they always have, but Jesus knows He is about to test the trust He has long since built. He asks them to believe something they cannot see; to participate in something incredibly intimate that they will not understand.

 “Take; this is my Body. This is my Blood.”

What does this mean?! If this new thing is strange, preposterous even, the Disciples' trust allows them to step out in faith and consume Him. This is possible only because Jesus has shown them time and time again He is good at His word. They don't realize it yet, but Jesus will fulfill the final covenant with His body, and His flesh will consummate humanity with God Himself. 

Belief in the Eucharist as Christ’s true body and blood is a gift. It occurs in a deeply intimate and sacred moment where personal consent and inspiration of the Holy Spirit meet. It is a leap of faith that is easier to take when we believe that Jesus is trustworthy, even when we cannot see or understand.


Consider: 

Do I believe Jesus is trustworthy?

Have I considered Jesus' claim that He is truly present in the Eucharist? What might this mean for my life?

Is it said that 7 out of 10 Catholics do not believe in transubstantiation (via Pew Research Center). If you have been gifted with belief in the Real Presence, pray today for someone who does not yet believe.




Michelynne Gomez

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