Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.
“Looking Ahead” is a series of reflections on the Sunday readings, by Father Perry. This week, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.
By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor
Drinking a magic potion is the stuff of many a fairy tale. The hero arrives at the magic hidden castle, and a voice out of nowhere speaks: “If you drink this you will be eternally young” or “you will slay the dragon” or “you will …”. Whatever the promise, whatever the gift given, it is “in the drinking” of the magical “stuff” that the miracle happens.
Ancient religion depended upon the killing of people, graduating eventually to the killing of animals. Blood was often sprinkled upon the people (as in the scriptures today); in this symbolic gesture, sins were forgiven, and reconciliation occurred.
Some realities simply have to be accepted. The gods are welcoming us back; the blood of animals frees us from our sins. In biblical language, the sin of Adam and Eve that scarred our humanity is finally reconciled, healed, and forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ and his total sacrifice for us.
Eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ in Eucharist is accepting Christ’s sacrifice and love for us. There is no magic; it is a symbolic action which makes what we celebrate be true.
A kiss is just a kiss. Or is it?
In fact, it is much more. A kiss symbolically delivers the love from one spirit to another. How else could it be? How else could one person reveal to another the mountain of feelings, aspirations, convictions, and willingness to “die for their love” except through a symbolic gesture (kiss) that connects two persons, that allows touch to express and reveal, and that opens through the sensuous that pathway of love to travel and to reach its mark.
A gesture, a symbol is so simple, so direct; what is symbolized becomes truth and reality. Jesus gave his love to us totally, freely, without limits or conditions, and in the process expressed perfect forgiveness —
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
If a person drinks a magic potion, there is a promised result. What do you think should happen if we eat and drink the body and blood of Christ? Is there magic? Should we feel something? The best of our tradition says that we don’t just receive something, but we become what we eat and drink.
A gesture, a symbol is so simple, so direct; what is symbolized becomes truth and reality. Jesus gave his love to us totally, freely, without limits or conditions.
