BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI) 22 June 2014

From time to time in the 2000 year life of the church so far, distortions of truth referred to as heresies have claimed the allegiance of members of the church. Heresies occur usually where one part of what the church believes is over-emphasised to the exclusion of other parts of the truth.

One heresy that has appeared more than once is an over-emphasis on the spirit and a down playing of the body. All that matters is the spiritual. What we do with our bodies is of no consequence. This thinking has resulted in some subjecting their bodies to extreme practices of mortification such as prolonged denial of food and drink wearing hair-shirts and self-whippings. Others went to the opposite extreme and embraced lives of total self-indulgence with pleasures of all kinds because the spirit alone mattered.

The church has always rejected this life of thinking and promotes a healthy appreciation of the human person as body-soul unity with both needing nurture and nourishment.

The body is important. It is the means by which we sustain life and share ourselves with others. Jesus was not just some spiritual presence to his friends. He spoke and ate with them. He could touch them and be touched by them. He shed tears, got angry and tired. He could be hurt and he was killed, his life being drained away by torture and then blood loss and suffocation. In his risen body he could be held as we see in his meeting with Mary Magdalen. He invited Thomas to examine the wounds.

Today’s church celebration focuses on the body and blood of Christ. From receiving Holy Communion we are very familiar with the words “Body of Christ” and “Blood of Christ”. With our “Amen” we profess our faith that Jesus is present in the consecrated bread and wine and coming to us to be at home in us and share life fully with us.

More than just at Holy Communion we speak of ourselves collectively as the Body of Christ with each of us as members of the body. This is an amazing identification of Christ with us but that is what He wants. As His body we are active everywhere doing all the things he did. Rejoice in this oneness and consciously be Him in whatever you do.