We are joined to Him and to one another
Corpus Christi Sunday, June 6, 2010 (Corpus ChristiC)
By Fr. Orlando Sapuay, M.S.

Sunday Readings
Lecturas y Comentarios 
Prayer of the Hours
Burning Question: Do you really believe in the True Presence at Communion?

Communion is fellowship. It is harmony of heart and mind. It is "that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment" (1Cor.1:10). Such communion with God is only possible in the Holy Spirit, and it is just such a fellowship which Jesus died for us to enjoy. When Jesus prayed that we would be made one as he and the Father were one (Jn.17), this communion was his desire. They were perfectly joined together, and he made the way for us to share his unity with God, in spirit and in truth.

Lack of Harmony characterizes our Times. There is Disharmony between Humans and Nature, between Religions, between Cultures, between Genders. Today’s feast must affirm the growing understanding among many people on the Earth that there is a need for people to come together to solve the problems of the world.

“We all participate in weaving the social fabric;
we should therefore all participate in patching the fabric
when it develops holes mismatches
between old expectations and current realities.”
Anne C. Weisberg

The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ is a celebration of God’s reconciling activity in bringing harmony as His loving presence draws all of humanity and all of creation to Himself. We can affirm three basic truths by which we can live this reality today.

Seeing the Divine Presence in all is the principle that all manifestations of life convey an expression of All That Is. It is the realization that all life flows from one divine energy source that links one to All and all to One. God has painted a picture so diverse and seemingly unrelated that there appears to be no unification. Yet it is not the outward manifestations that unify. It is the inward center of divine presence and energy upon which the pieces of diversity are layered that unifies all life.

“People need to see that far from being an obstacle,
the world's diversity of languages, religions, and traditions
is a great treasure, affording us precious
opportunities to recognize ourselves in others.”
Youssou N'Dour

Everything and Everyone is connected with everyone and everything else Small actions can cause huge changes. Everyone has heard the thing about the butterfly beating its wings in Beijing and causing a hurricane in Mexico, or similar. We need to understand the interconnection and interdependence of all living and non-living entities, and of all phenomena that happen in the life cycle. This means that everyone, particularly every human being, is our brother or sister because we live in the age of interdependence. We should deal with every person and everything respectfully, and with great thought and care, realizing that our thoughts and beliefs about each person and thing can affect them. The reality today is that we are interdependent.

“Diversity is not about how we differ.
Diversity is about embracing one another's uniqueness.”
Ola Joseph

I am One! I am diversity! I am harmony! Reconciliation is founding “DiverCity,” home to many different peoples of many different colors, cultures, genders, languages, ages, abilities, sizes, classes, religions, ethnicities, and beliefs. In DiverCity, there is room for everyone to practice their own customs, to build their spiritual foundations, to work and act as one, to laugh and to play together, to nurture one another and to be rejuvenated.

There are no nations! There is only humanity.
And if we don't come to understand that right soon,
there will be no nations, because there will be no humanity.
Issac Asimov

This is the significance of the feast today. Indeed, in being incorporated into the Life of God, the sacramental banquet becomes the bond of love and unity for humanity. St. Paul asks rhetorically, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not the participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body for we all partake of the one loaf” (1Cor. 10:16-17). In the sacramental banquet of Christ’s body and blood. we are joined to Him and to one another – in a bond of love that makes selfishness, greed, and complacency in the world’s afflictions unthinkable.

Our response in faith is obvious, “Of course! How can it be otherwise?
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