Corpus Christi

We have celebrated the Resurrection and the Ascension of Christ, and the coming of the Holy Spirit on the early church. In the celebration of Corpus Christi, we commemorate the presence among us of the absent Christ in another form In the sacrament of Holy Communion we are assured of the togetherness of Christ and his people. – the very word communion means union with – union with Christ and union with each other. In the simplicity and the humility of some bread and wine, Christ chose to remain with us in disguise.

Christ is truly present in the bread of life not only to strengthen us on our desert journey through life but to give us a guarantee and foretaste of the eternal life and eternal communion promised to the faithful.The one bread of life which we eat and the one cup which we share is a sign of the unity and togetherness we aspire to and which will come to its fulfilment in the communion of saints. -the cup is a sign of the joy and the eternal happiness of the banquet of life spoken of and promised to those who remain faithful.

Communion is what we aim for in the present and hope to enjoy in the future. We believe in the communion of saints, the togetherness at the end of all the faithful, when there will be no more tension, no more tears or suffering and above all no more death. In our communion we act out in sign and sacrament the present reality of our need for strength and the hope of joy. We show our unity in belief and our togetherness in following Christ. We are saved in hope, saved as a community, and we communicate with Christ present in the Eucharist so as to re-live that hope and to show our belief in Christ’s words when he assured us of his continuing presence among us in the bread of life.

Christ’s teaching on the Eucharist lost him some of his followers and the faith needed to sustain recognition of Christ’s presence in the elements can be difficult to summon. Christ is truly present though, as he promised, and the faith and respect which we owe that presence is given expression every time we reverently attend Mass and receive worthily the Christ who comes to us in the humble disguise of bread and wine.