The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Why did Christ leave Himself
in the form of Bread?
Jesus asked in the Gospel, "How many loaves do you have?" Christ does not meet all human needs, but meets such a need which is absolutely fundamental. Absolutely essential. "How many loaves do you have?!" He did not ask the apostles how many candies or cream cakes do you have, but asked "How much bread do you have?" Jesus knew that He need to give them bread.
The Auschwitz survivors had dreams of food because they were hungry all the time. That was extreme hunger. All the dreams of people from the camp, described in one of the books about Auschwitz, are about food. In each of them, the most important thing is bread. All of them who write down these dreams write: “I have never dreamed of any delicacies. Only bread. "Either they dreamed of bread or potatoes. But they never dreamed of any delicacies, etc.
Today, when I thought about what to write, I returned to a text that is 800 years old, written by Pope Innocent III. The Pope wonders why Jesus just multiplied five loaves.
Jesus needs to give us five loaves. The first is material bread, the second is spiritual, the third is doctrines, teachings, truths, the fourth is the sacramental bread, and the fifth is Jesus Christ Himself.
The first four loaves we get on our way, and the fifth at our destination.
Feast of Corpus Christi, it is the feast of Bread that Christ takes in his hands and gives us. First, he gives us the bread that satisfies our hunger. You cannot jump over this level. This bread need to be given to people. Then he gives us spiritual Bread: Beauty, art, painting. But also the spiritual bread that is community. Spiritual bread, which is friendship. Can you live without it? No! Christ gives it to us.
Later he gives us this bread which is teaching. Truth. Once I talked with a shipyard worker in August, 1980 (Solidarity Strike) in Gdańsk. This shipyard worker told me: "I can eat bread and drink it with water, but let them stop deceiving me at last." This is the bread we need: the truth.
These are the three loaves that lead us to the Eucharist. The fourth bread is the sacramental bread. A bread of unity and communion with Christ. And finally the fifth one. The fifth is Christ himself.
Listen, Brothers and Sisters, today is the Feast of Bread.
"How many loaves do you have?" When you give someone bread, you start by filling his hunger. "Give him Bread." But then you give him spiritual gifts, give him the word that teaches him, and open him to communion with Jesus. Jesus wants to be present in such Bread. And you will say to your brother: Stay with me, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with you. And it happened that, while he was with you at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to you. With that your eyes were opened and you will recognized him (cf. Lk 24: 29-31)
"When Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, he summarized in these gestures his own life. Jesus is chosen from all eternity, blessed at his baptism in the Jordan River, broken on the cross, and given as bread to the world. Being chosen, blessed, broken, and given is the sacred journey of the Son of God, Jesus the Christ.
When we take bread, bless it, break it, and give it with the words “This is the Body of Christ,” we express our commitment to make our lives conform to the life of Christ. We too want to live as people chosen, blessed, and broken, and thus become food for the world". (Henri Jozef Nouwen, Life of the Beloved)
Until Tomorrow
fr. george