Year B - Corpus Christi – Body and Blood of Christ
How to Prepare
In the Gospel for this feast, Jesus tells his disciples to go and make preparations for the Passover feast. He had already made some arrangement with the owner of the house and now his disciples are to complete those preparations. When we come to Eucharist, we come knowing that God has prepared for us the banquet of the kingdom. This Food does not become us rather we become this Food: we enter into the life and Jesus Christ. In one sense we could never prepare for such a meal as it is so marvellous that it is beyond our power. But in another sense we do need to prepare ourselves, so that we can appreciate as much as possible the gifts we receive. So how can we prepare? We are all familiar with the tradition of fasting before receiving the Eucharist even though now the time stipulated is quite short. But there is another preparation that Jesus enjoins on us in the Gospel – making peace within our communities. When you go to the altar, make peace with your brother or sister before you make your offering. Fasting from food can be easy compared to the hard work of making peace within our families and within our communities before we share Eucharist. Even if we do not have problems in our relationships with those we live with, it is a good preparation to actively try to be more loving as we prepare for Mass. But what about those relationships that seemed to be mired in anger, resentment and misunderstanding. Maybe we need to recognise them as a ‘work in progress’ that may take time for healing and growth. As we approach the altar of the Lord we cannot think that everything is ‘okay’. But as we receive the Eucharist, we can hold out our failure and beg for the wisdom, strength and courage to do what we can to make peace and grow in God. The God of love will never refuse such a prayer.
Sr Kym Harris OSB |