Consecrated and Transformed

This week, I would like to continue some thoughts on the Mass, particularly on Communion. It is important to remember that Jesus didn’t simple say This is my body and This is my blood, but rather:

This is my body which is given up for you.

and

This is my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

It is the sacrificial Jesus who is present in the Eucharist; it is the Lord giving himself for us, and shedding his blood for us. When we celebrate the Eucharist, we are sharing in the saving death and resurrection of Jesus. The saving presence of Jesus is not intended simply to deepen our personal unity with him. Salvation involves our unity with each other in Christ. Eucharistic communion is not a private devotion, our individual reception of Jesus for our own isolated benefit.

Whenever we celebrated Mass at St Thomas of Canterbury, we are coming together as the body of Christ. We are not receiving Jesus as isolated individuals but as members of his Body. Jesus has given us the Eucharist for the deepening of the unity of the Church. We need to ask ourselves, ‘Is the effect of our daily and weekly celebration of Mass in this parish resulting in us growing ever more strongly into a living and tangible unity?’ Celebrating and receiving communion here in Canterbury also means that we are in full communion with our Bishop John Wilson, with all the Catholic bishops of the world and with our Holy Father, Pope Francis.

I do miss my friend Bishop Michael Evans, for his clarity and understanding of the Eucharist. He was instrumental in helping the Bishops of England and Wales to write One Bread, One Body. Here are some of his words:

‘We receive the consecrated and transformed bread and cup so that we who receive them can be consecrated and transformed by the powerful presence of Christ within us. We receive Jesus himself so that we can more truly bring Jesus and be Jesus to others once we leave the Eucharistic celebration. Our recognition and reception of the real presence of the Lord in the breaking of bread should open our eyes to recognise his hidden presence in one another, especially in the broken lives of the poor and oppressed, the unwanted and rejected, and to receive, revere and serve his presence in them.’