The Body and Blood of Christ: A scandal and Bizarre Truth, Then and Now

Reflection on Today's Readings and Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Texts: Deut. 8:2-3.14b-16a; Ps. 147:12-15.19-20; 1Cor. 10:16-17; John 6:51-58
Some of the things that we have accepted today as ordinary and normal reality of our life, we do not know how bizarre and scandalous they were when they first started. For instance, the Creed we profess today caused a lot of rancor and division in the Church that remains till now. When we profess it now, all these ills are often forgotten. Perhaps, if we could recall what it took our forefathers to affirm and sustain those articles of faith we might have had sense of commitment to the Creed and profess it with reverence and not rush over it. Hence, today's first reading reminds the people of Israel their forty years journey in the wilderness, the suffering they encountered and how God came to their rescue by giving them manna from heaven and water from rock to show that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. The Body and Blood of Jesus Christ as true food from heaven reminds us that our help is in God alone.
Today that we celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the gospel brings to mind how bizarre and scandalous it was when Jesus Christ first said he would give us his flesh for food and his blood for drink. Despite that it was offensive to his hearers, Jesus Christ kept repeating it and at each repetition he used stronger statement of emphasis to affirm it.  When he noticed their argument over the issue, he added, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you". He emphasized it further thus: "For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed". The language used and the attitude at which Jesus Christ expressed the giving of his flesh and blood as food and drink affirm the truth of what he said.
The truth of the body and blood of Jesus Christ as food and drink was something bizarre and scandalous to the people who first heard it. The problem they had was the implication of the truth on them. They thought Jesus Christ was looking at them as vampires, blood-suckers and human-eaters. If they were to be Africans they would say Jesus Christ was taking them for witches and wizards. In Africa, it is witches and wizards that drink blood and eat human flesh. Who could endure being taken for witch or wizard? In Africa, witches and wizards are often treated like lepers. We can now understand how inhuman they felt Jesus Christ was. Today we need to appreciate those who stayed with Jesus Christ in spite of this scandalous and bizarre truth. They believed it and passed it on to us. They are heroes and heroines of our faith.
However, will the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ stop being a scandal and bizarre truth to humanity? The answer is no. Then, how is it a scandal and bizarre truth to us today? The problem is no longer the implication it has on us. When Jesus Christ was about to die he took bread and said, "Take this all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body which will be given up for you" (Mk 14:22; Lk. 22:19; 1Cor. 11:24). He also took cup of wine and said, "Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me" (Mk.14:24; Lk. 22:20; 1Cor. 11:25). The problem now is how the bread and the wine are the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. So, the scandal and the bizarre truth now is the substantial presence of Jesus Christ in the species of bread and wine. This still divides Christianity till today. The way Catholic sees consecrated species is different from the way Anglican sees it and so also other christian denominations. When I receive the body of Christ, the taste I have is that of bread and also when I receive the Blood, the taste I have is that of wine.  Now how is it the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ that I received? Dear friends, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ will not cease from being a scandal and bizzare truth, we either go away or take it like Peter and say, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68). And then take our rest.

Lord Jesus Christ, inspire in us fervent devotion to your Body and Blood. Amen

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke