Corpus Christi celebrates the True Presence yet Christ cannot be truly present in our lives if we allow him to remain in the tabernacle. We were, fortunately or unfortunately, not present at the crucifixion where we gave his physical body and blood so that we may all live.

At every mass, we “do this as a memorial of me”, in which we believe that Christ is truly present in the form of bread and wine. Consecrated, we become truly present at the foot of the cross at every mass when Christ gives his body and blood to us just as he did on Calvary.

There was a point along my journey in life that I was caught rooted at the foot of the cross. Being Catholic equated to a life of suffering and that then did not fit into my grand scheme of things. My secular lifestyle, my unholy desires and my earthly priorities blinded any sight of Christ, truly Risen. The secular world took me away from my spiritual world. Gradually unworthiness crept along and I stopped taking and eating the Holy Eucharist. The presence of the Risen Christ disappeared from my life.

The homilist today shared that “we are what we eat”. Indeed.

When we received the Holy Eucharist, we have the opportunity to be like Christ. Through us, in us, he is truly present. But in turn, we cannot just be like a tabernacle containing him. We must give ourselves to others so that they in turn, will not be rooted at the foot of the cross.

Each of us have in our possession, 5 loaves and 2 fish. But our loaves and fish are all different from each other’s. Our gifts are varied. In 1 Peter we find, “Each one of you has received a special grace, so, like good stewards responsible for all these varied graces of God, put it at the service of others”. Every loaf counts, every fish is called.

The true presence of Christ in us can only be fully expressed when we offer our 5 loaves and 2 fish for him to use. In fact, who we truly are: this wonderful child of God, chosen to allow his love to flow through us can only be beautifully expressed when we are fully extended, fully given. When we do so, the multiplier effect of God’s varied graces becomes immense.

We will see him truly present in our lives, along the miles on our journey.

(Solemnity of Corpus Christi, The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, reflecting on 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Luke 9:11-17)