Readings

First Reading—Gen 14:18–20
Responsorial Psalm—Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4
Second Reading—1 Cor 11:23–26
Sequence—Lauda Sion (optional)
Gospel—Luke 9:11b–17

Royal Priesthood

• The Solemnity of Corpus Christi celebrates the Body and Blood of Christ, which Jesus offers to the Father for the salvation of the world. Christ offers himself on the cross, and in the sacrifice of the Mass, he incorporates the Church into his act of self-offering.
• Several of today’s readings refer to the office of king, as well as priest.
• Melchizedek is called the “King of Salem,” which is traditionally understood to refer to Jerusalem. His name means “King of Righteousness.” He is an early type of Christ in three important respects: he is simultaneously king and priest; he offers bread and wine to God; he does not belong to the tribe of Levi, and so he receives his priesthood directly from God, with no intermediary.
• The Responsorial Psalm is a royal psalm, likely composed to commemorate a military victory. The Lord invites the Israelite king to sit at his right hand, which is the place of honor. At his coronation, an Israelite king was considered to be enthroned at the right hand of the invisible, but always present, Lord. Like a priest, the king is an intercessor, representing the people before God.
• Christ, as King and Priest, offers himself for his people. The Lauda Sion, composed c. 1264 by St. Thomas Aquinas for use at Mass on the then relatively new feast of Corpus Christi, makes references to Christ’s role as leader of his people: “Here the new law’s new oblation, / By the new king’s revelation, / Ends the form of ancient rite” (verse 7). This verse shows that, in the Eucharist, three things are made new: law, sacrifice, and kingship. We fulfill the new law of Christ, our sovereign King, when we receive his Body and Blood with faith, allowing ourselves to be transformed by his grace, so that we too might offer ourselves in charity for the life of the world.

Called to Participate in the Mission of Jesus Christ

• In baptism, Christians are incorporated into Christ’s body, and through the Eucharist, the baptized participate in Christ’s self-offering for the whole world. This Solemnity’s celebration of the Body and Blood of Christ calls the Church to deeper participation in the mission of Christ. Christ desires to reign in the minds, wills, and hearts of all people (see Quas primas, 7). Through our worthy reception of Holy Communion, we become instruments through which Christ extends his reign in time and space, offering hope to a world in need of his saving power.
• In the gospel passage, Jesus’ preaching of the kingdom is accompanied with works of healing and feeding. These signs allude to the Eucharist and to the anointing of the sick, and at the same time, they remind the Church that our witness to the Gospel is accompanied by actions. The kingdom of God is not concerned only with what lies beyond the here and now. There is a close, practical relationship between the kingdom of God and our actions in this life. The Catholic Church in the United States has for decades sought to participate in Christ’s ministry to the sick and hungry by serving in health care and social services.
• The Second Vatican Council’s Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity teaches that all members of the Church share in the mission of advancing the kingdom of God in every sphere of human activity: “The Church was founded for the purpose of spreading the kingdom of Christ throughout the earth for the glory of God the Father, to enable all men to share in His saving redemption, and that through them the whole world might enter into a relationship with Christ. All activity of the Mystical Body directed to the attainment of this goal is called the apostolate, which the Church carries on in various ways through all her members” (Apostolicam actuositatem, 2).
• The laity play a special role in sanctifying the world by acting to promote the kingdom of Christ in the temporal sphere. “They are consecrated for the royal priesthood and the holy people (see 1 Pet 2:4-10) not only that they may offer spiritual sacrifices in everything they do but also that they may witness to Christ throughout the world” (Apostolicam actuositatem, 3).
• Religious freedom means that people are not impeded by the state from seeking and responding to the truth about God. It also means that the Church has the space to carry out the mission that Christ has entrusted to her. Today, the Church faces many challenges to her efforts, including political polarization that fractures the body of Christ. There are threats to the ability of Christian ministries to serve immigrants and to promote the common good, while there also may be opportunities in the coming year to expand parental choice in education. And even abroad, in countries like Nicaragua and Nigeria, Christians are persecuted for their faith.

Witnesses to Hope this Jubilee Year

• Despite the challenges the Church faces in carrying out the mission of Christ, we are reminded this Jubilee Year that we are united in the “hope that does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5). The Solemnity of Corpus Christi allows us to reflect on this hope in Christ: specifically, how our participation in the life of the Church as members of the body of Christ compels us forward in mission.
• Our baptism brings us into Christ’s body and unites us in a shared and common dignity. Our participation in the Eucharist transforms us by the self-giving love of Christ. The love and mercy of Christ gives us a unifying model for how we carry out our mission as the body of Christ and how we bear witness to the hope found in Christ.