Solemnity of Corpus Christi (A)

(Edited) Sunday reflections: (From) years 2014 (A), 2015 (B), and 2016 (C)

June 22, 2014
Liturgical readings
Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14b-16a
Psalm 147
1 Corinthians 10:16-17
John 6:51-58

"Jesus is the Living Bread who came down from heaven."

The Jews in Jesus' time quarreled among themselves when Jesus spoke of his Body and Blood as nourishment. They did not understand that the Lord meant to institute a Sacrament and memorial of His mercy. (This memorial was instituted at the Last Supper before His death on the Cross). But for Catholics now, this truth of "the living Bread came down from heaven" as the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood is understood clearly as a sign that points to a reality beyond just the level of physical senses. It points to eternal life. This is what the Jews in the Lord's time failed to understand. They understood what He said from their established Jewish religion and the physical world in which they lived. But the Lord did not exclude them. He invited them to understand on the level of faith - faith in His Person, and His words and His deeds.

A good explanation of this mystery of Christ's Body and Blood comes from St. Thomas Aquinas. St. Thomas explains this mystery in very intelligible words. He said: Christ wanted to ensure the memory of the gift of himself (his words, deeds, and life) to abide with his followers forever. The Lord left his Body as food, and his Blood as drink, for all the faithful to consume in the form of bread and wine in the Eucharist. It is his Body and Blood which heals each and every one from all infirmities of soul. Christ, the Divine Physician, left this living sign, this continuous outpouring of his life, to heal and save all from their sins. If properly disposed to receive the Sacrament in the Eucharist, the faithful gain an increase of virtues and an abundance of spiritual gifts - giving health and strength to the soul once more.

This gift and Sacrament of the Lord's Body and Blood encourages all those carrying the weight of many secular concerns. The Sacrament lifts up tired spirits and renews all hopes. The faithful again have a renewed understanding that life is more than just the physical food and material things they monotonously work for each day. Faith can make us understand this: if the Lord fed 4,000 to 5,000 men in his time by multiplying a few loaves and fish, could he not do the same to about 1 billion Catholics in our present generation? It is the fulfillment of the promise that God will be with us until the end of time. And if each Catholic will be faithful to Christ, then each one becomes the Lord's Body and Blood to those who do not know Him - by the witness of His presence as a force that gives life to one's work and life.

Scripture quotes for reflection:
"Because the loaf of bread is one, we, many though we are, are one body for we all partake of the one loaf." (1 Corinthians 10:16-17)

Memorial of Saints (June 12)

St. John of Sahagun was educated by the Benedictine monks. He was ordained in 1445 A.D., then spent some years studying at the University of Salamanca. He did a lot of work the next decade, but fell ill and had a serious operation. After this serious illness, he entered the Augustinians in 1463 A.D. St. John worked well as an Augustinian, and was known for his gift of reading men's souls (died ca. 1479 A.D.).

St. Antonina was tortured and martyred during Diocletian's persecution of Christians. Tradition reports her martyrdom to have happened at Nicaea, Bithynia, during the governorship of Priscillian. Many places aside from Nicaea, Bithynia also claim the honor of her martyrdom. She is also known by the name Antonia - the name listed in the Roman Martyrology (died ca. 304 A.D.).

St. Onuphrius was an Egyptian hermit. Originally a monk in a large monastery in the Thebaid, he felt called to a solitary life. Onuphrius lived as a hermit for sixty years after leaving the monastery in the Thebaid. Paphnoutious, a monk who wanted also to be a hermit, met Onuphrius in the desert. While with St. Onuphrius, Paphnoutius learned of the old hermit's life and wrote a biography on the Saint (died ca. 400 A.D.).

St. Ternan was a monk at Culross Monastery in Scotland, and a disciple of St. Paliadus. He was consecrated bishop in 432 A.D. Ternan worked as a missionary among the Picts. He was known to have also founded the abbey of Culross in Fifeshire. This is where he spent the last years of his life (died 6th century A.D.).

St. Peter of Mount Athos fought against the Saracens in his youth, but was captured and imprisoned by them. He was released through the intercession of St. Simeon. Peter then went to Rome where he received the monastic habit from the Pope. He then went to Mount Athos in the Greek peninsula, and became the first Christian hermit there (died 8th century A.D.).

St. Leo III was a cardinal-priest before he was elected Pope on December 26, 975 A.D. Involved in a political conflict, he managed to escape an attempt on his life by fleeing to St. Erasmus Monastery. Leo III sought Charlemagne's protection, who sent a delegation to help him go back to Rome. Charlemagne helped Leo III against his enemies, then Leo III crowned Charlemagne as emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. When Charlemagne died in 814 A.D., Leo III's enemies rose up against him again. However St. Leo III prevailed against them (died ca. 816 A.D.).

St. Odulf was ordained, did parish work, and then became a canon at Utrecht in the Netherlands. He became known for his learning and eloquent preaching. He also became a missionary to Friesland - receiving much success. St. Odulf also built a church and a monastery at Stavoren. He spent his last years at Utrecht (died ca. 855 A.D.).

St. Eskil accompanied his relative St. Sigfrid on a missionary trip to Sweden. Upon arrival, he was consecrated bishop at Strängnäs and received success in his missionary work in Södermanland. Because the pagan practices were still strong in Strängnäs, St. Eskil was accused of magic when a pagan sacrificial altar was destroyed by lightning. St. Eskil was stoned to death and died a martyr for the Lord (died ca. 1080 A.D.).

St. Guy of Cortona was influenced by St. Francis of Assisi where the Saint visited his hometown at Cortona. Eventually, Guy expressed his desire to be a Franciscan. As required of all Franciscans, Guy abandoned his possessions - giving them to the poor. He donned the Franciscan habit and lived inside a small cell on a bridge over a stream. St. Guy was known among his townsmates to have raised back to life a girl who drowned and also to have multiplied food during a famine (died ca. 1245 A.D.).

St. Gaspar Bertoni was the founder of the Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Stigmatines) in 1816 A.D. During the twenty-year French occupation of northern Italy, St. Gaspar worked in hospitals for the sick and the wounded. He was also ordained chaplain to the Canossian sisters in 1800 A.D. (died ca. 1853 A.D.).

St. Ephrem of Syria (Feast: June 9)

St. Ephrem of Syria, Deacon and Doctor of the Church: ca. 306-373 A.D.

Birth and early life

St. Ephrem (also spelled Ephraem), was born in Nisibis, Northern Mesopotamia. When he was converted to Christianity, some biographers say his pagan parents disowned him. This is not certain. But what is certain is that he was baptized at the age of eighteen, and then taken by St. Jacob, the bishop of Nisibis.

St. Ephrem was reported to have accompanied Bishop Jacob to the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. Upon their return, the bishop ordained Ephrem as a deacon - which was to be the last permanent diaconate in the Church until after Vatican II.

After Bishop St. Jacob's death, Ephrem served the next three succeeding bishops.

The fall of Nisibis into Persian rule

St. Ephrem stayed in Nisibis and became well known as a superb teacher in the Christian biblical school of Nisibis. But Nisibis was soon to be attacked by the Persians - not once, but three times. St. Ephrem was credited with securing the deliverance of the city by his prayer in 328 A.D. However, Nisibis was eventually awarded to the Persians in a peace settlement made in 363 A.D.

Retirement to Edessa

Fearing for their safety, St. Ephrem and the other Christians fled the city to go to Edessa in Syria. Ephrem retired to a cave on a lonely mountain, and led a very austere life. He spent much time in prayer and work. It was here in Edessa where Ephrem did much of his writing. According to the Byzantine historian Sozomen, St. Ephrem wrote more than a thousand works during his lifetime. He also eventually became well known in Edessa, which he called the "city of blessing". Preaching often to the people in the city, he spoke against the Arian heresy.

"Harp of the Holy Spirit"

St. Ephrem was among the first Christians to make sacred songs part of public worship. As one way to battle the heresies of his day, St. Ephrem took the popular melodies of his time and substituted it with words that clearly expressed Christian teaching. The themes of his songs and hymns included the superiority of the virgin state of life, faith, and the existence of the Church as the continuation of Jesus on earth. His hymns earned him the title "Harp of the Holy Spirit".

His writings

St. Ephrem wrote voluminously in Syriac on exegetical, dogmatic, and ascetical themes, drawing heavily on scriptural sources. He also wrote against the Arians and the Gnostics, and on the subject of the Last Judgment. His other writings were commentaries on the Old Testament books and an annotation on the Diatessaron, a writing about the Redemption. St. Ephrem's works were translated from Syrian into Greek, Latin and Armenian.

Famine in Edessa and death

As a deacon, St. Ephrem administered large sums of money for the Church in Edessa. In the winter of 372 A.D., a famine struck Edessa and caused suffering among the people of Syria. St. Ephrem organized a relief operation which included providing ways to carry the sick. The great work St. Ephrem exerted in the service of the people, may have caused him a great loss of strength and resistance. After he returned to his cave on the lonely mountain overlooking the city of Edessa, he died a month later in 373 A.D.

Doctor of the Church

Due to his exceptional humility, St. Ephrem is probably the least known of the Doctors of the Church. He was not declared a Doctor of the Church until the twentieth century - in 1920 A.D. - 1547 years after his death. St. Ephrem is the only Syrian honoured with the title in the Church. Along with St. Cecilia, he can be considered a patron of music. The Church celebrates his feast on June 9.

Sources of this blog post:

• Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney
• A Year with the Saints, by Don Bosco Press, Inc.
• Saints for Our Time, by Ed Ransom
• The Doctors of the Church, volume one, by John F. Fink
• The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism, by editor Bernard McGinn