June 22 2025 Sermon
In the 13th century, long before the protestant reformation, the Feast of Corpus Christi was instituted. Corpus Christi, in Latin means “body of Christ” The feast of Corpus Christi is a day of thanksgiving for the Institution of Holy Communion. It was set in the church calendar on the first Thursday after the season of Easter. This feast commemorates the institution of the eucharist by Jesus on the night of his betrayal and arrest. Allows a fuller celebration of the centrality of the Eucharist in the life of the church than does Maundy Thursday in the middle of Holy Week. This feast is not officially observed in the Anglican Church of Canada, in fact it is not in the church calendar, but many congregations, especially those with an Anglo-Catholic piety observe the feast on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, sometimes transferred to the following Sunday.
Today we celebrate this feast, acknowledging the real presence of Christ in the bread and wine. It’s a day to reflect on the institution of the Eucharist and its significance in Christian faith. Our hymns and prayers encourage us to reflect on the gift of the Eucharist. There is much to reflect upon. The opening paragraph of the eucharistic prayer gets to the point.
BLESSING and glory and thanksgiving be unto thee Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
The eucharistic prayer – a prayer of thanksgiving Thanksgiving for what? Who of thy tender mercy didst give thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ to take our nature upon him, and to suffer death upon the Cross for our redemption;
Does this sense of thanksgiving resonate with you? Why or why not?
‘who made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world.’ An oblation is a solemn offering or presentation to God. Holy Communion is a tangible reminder of Christ’s atoning sacrifice How strange the practice can seem. In St Paul’s day – the sacrificial system was taken for granted. In the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, day in and day out sacrifices were offered. The smell of burning offerings, the bleating of sheep before their throats were slit, the pools of blood were well known. The people understood that their sinfulness separated them from God and a sacrifice was needed to reconcile this broken relationship. Jesus offers himself as an unblemished offering to atone for the sins of the whole world.
The prayer of consecration continues, “And did institute and in his holy Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memorial of that his precious death, until his coming again.” The mass continues, week by week, year by year, based on Christ’s command – do this in remembrance of me,
Why do we largely adhere to this command while many other commands like love your enemies, turn the other cheek, God or money – you have to choose, don’t worry about anything – seek God instead?
Participating in the eucharist is at once both deeply personal and profoundly communal. Communion fosters a sense of spiritual unity among believers.
My experience – entering into the eucharist
Age 7 first holy communion, don’t remember the specific teaching around this, observant, my dad beating his chest, people coming back from the rail looking different, reverent, radiant. Altar boy, seeing the faces of the communicants at the rail, the actions and prayers up close, watching Fr McGarry dressing in the vestry, the way he held his finger and thumb together after handling the blessed sacrament until they were washed after distributing communion.
Christians affirm their shared identity as members of the body of Christ by partaking in the ritual. Your presence matters. Your presence supports and nourishes the faith of others. We may not know the specifics, but we know that it can entail a sacrifice to show up, to take an active role, to sing when you are self-conscious of your voice. But in the eucharist we are invited to join our sacrifice with Christ’s sacrifice. How beautiful, how touching, to know that the people around us are sacrificing for us.
Sacrificing for the world. From today’s gospel. ‘The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside to lodge and get provisions, for we are here in a deserted place.” 13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.”’
Jesus did the heavy lifting, he always does, but he gifts us with his spirit that we to can involve ourselves in the feeding the hungry, hungry physically, mentally, emotionally and yes spiritually.
Let us give thanks today that we can feed on, and be nourished and strengthened by the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Nourished and strengthened to live lives to the glory and honour of God and for the blessing of others.