The Most Holy Trinity....
The Most Holy Trinity
The month of June starts with a celebration of the Holy Trinity, following Sunday The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, June 16th the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. We are in the years of Eucharistic Revival Years and Maintenance to Mission years, so I will focus on the Eucharist the entire month of June.
Let me start by reflecting on the Holy Trinity. Genesis 1:26, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” At the beginning of the book of Genesis chapter 1 gives the account of creation and God said, “Let there be…” and “the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters” (1:2). Gospel of John begins with the statement that “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was God…all things were made through him…” (1:1&2). The Gospel for Trinity Sunday is John 3:16-18, here we read that “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son…” Jesus, after his passion, death, and resurrection, before his ascension, asked his disciples to remain in Jerusalem until they receive the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49). In the Gospel of Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus talks to his disciples about the mission. Jesus says “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
Now let us move on to the Eucharist. God the Father sends his only begotten Son, through him we may have eternal life (John 3:16). The only begotten Son, Jesus born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1) – means house of bread – and laid in a manger (Luke 2:7) – where animals were fed. In the Gospel of John 6:35 Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.”
At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this, is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins." And he commanded them and said, “Do this in memory of me” (Mt 26:26-28; cf. Mk 14:22-24, Lk 22:17-20, 1 Cor 11:23-25).
As Catholics, we follow the command of Jesus and gather to celebrate the Eucharist. Catechism of the Catholic Church 1324-1327 says the Eucharist is “the source and summit” of Christian life. The Church teaches that Christ is truly, really, and substantially present in the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ in the Eucharist. The bread and wine consecrated by the Bishop or priest in the liturgy of the Eucharist become the Body and Blood of Christ. CCC 1105 says, “The Epiclesis (invocation upon) is the intercession in which the priest begs the Father to send the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, so that the offerings may become the Body and Blood of Christ and that the faithful, by receiving them, may themselves become a living offering to God.” Jesus says, " In the Eucharist “the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, substantially contained” (Council of Trent [1551]: DS 1651).
My Flesh is food indeed, and my Blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him" (Jn 6:55-56). Christ is truly present in the Eucharist – the body, blood, soul, and divinity, under the appearances of bread and wine—the glorified Christ who rose from the dead after dying for our sins. Through the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, we become united to the person of Christ through his humanity.
In the Eucharist, the substance of the bread and wine becomes the Body and the Blood of Christ is called transubstantiation. It occurs at the consecration during the Mass, when the bishop or priest pronounces the words of consecration over the bread and wine as Christ Commanded (CCC 1376-1377, 1411-1413). Christ offers us his Body and Blood to us in Holy Communion to be nourished by his divine life.
CCC 1377 says, “The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist. Christ is present whole and entire in each of their parts, in a such a way that the breaking of the bread does not divide Christ.” So when we receive Holy Communion, we need to give the most attention to consuming the smallest particle of the Eucharist.