We
are all at times unfaithful in big and little ways. Only in and through Jesus Christ
does human fidelity become a reality. Finally with Jesus, God has found a
faithful human partner. God’s fidelity and human fidelity are one and incarnate
in Jesus.
Gathered
around this Eucharistic table, Jesus offers us his own fidelity to the Father.
In receiving the Body and Blood of Christ we become that fidelity, as pure gift.
The Father in recognizing his Son, recognizes us in him, through him and with
him.
The
Father recognizes his crucified and resurrected Son in the same way that the
disciples recognized Jesus after his resurrection- by his wounds. Glorified
they may be, but wounds they remain eternally. His wounds are the human sign of
his unbroken fidelity. And the Father recognizes us by our wounds, our brokenness, our sins, our infidelities, our need
for forgiveness and healing; a need that God wants passionately to meet. As
Jesus’ wounds were the sign of his unbroken fidelity, at the same time they are
the human sign of our broken fidelity. Our sins pierced his body and that very
piercing is our salvation; the paradox of salvation.
We continue to come back and gather around this altar, maybe stumbling, maybe crawling. But we are here. And Jesus is saying to us, “Become what you eat and drink. Be transformed into me. My fidelity is yours.”
Photograph of the Abbey Corpus Christ procession by Brother Emmanuel. Excerpts from Abbot Damian's homily for the Solemnity.
