CORPUS CHRISTI (B)

This is my blood of the covenant.

Mk 14:12-16, 22-26

When I was in the minor seminary way back in the late 60’s, I applied to be a member of the brass band. I was given to learn the piccolo. It’s a small clarinet (hence, piccolo) in the key of E flat.

One day our band master told us we had to learn to play several traditional church songs fast. Not only that we had to learn playing those songs while on the move.

It turned out that we were invited for the procession of Corpus Christi in one of the big parishes nearby.

The solemnity of Corpus Christi is the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. This solemnity is traditionally celebrated on a Thursday. But some countries have chosen to celebrate it on a Sunday in order to allow as many Catholics as possible to celebrate it.

For this year’s solemnity of Corpus Christi, I have chosen this passage as our jumping point: “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.”

The word “covenant” means a solemn contract, oath or bond. In the Bible “covenant” refers to the solemn contract between God and his people. The Bible speaks mainly of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.

The Old Covenant was ratified on Mt. Sinai. The New Covenant, on Mt. Cal-vary. The mediator of the Old Covenant was Moses. That of the New Covenant was Jesus. The Old Covenant was between Yahweh and his people, Israel. The New Covenant, between God and his people who are believers in Jesus Christ. The Old Covenant was ratified with the blood of bulls. The New Covenant, with the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.

Let’s focus our attention only on the New Covenant. What are the important consequences of the existence of the New Covenant?

First, it means that a Christian is at the same time a member of the Church. There is no such thing as a Christian who does not belong to the Church. That is why two of the effects of Baptism are: becoming a child of God and becoming a member of the Christian community, the Church.

Second, if I behave in a way that is seriously contrary to being a good Christian, I can be expelled from the Church. This is called excommunication. For ex-ample, anyone actively involved in abortion is automatically excommunicated or expelled from the Church. This includes the woman who underwent abortion, the doctor and the nurses who performed the abortion and those people who advised the woman to undergo abortion.

Third, Gawad Kalinga is no longer a church organization both because it has lost the official recognition of the bishops and because it has cut itself from the bishops. It is now just a civic or social organization. Official recognition from the bishop or from the parish priest is important if a group is to be called a church organization.

Fourth, if I am a member of the Church, then I have to participate in the life of the Church. Worshiping together at Mass is participation in the life of the Church. Joining a pilgrimage, joining a procession, supporting Pondong Pinoy are ways of participating in the life of the Church.

The New Covenant is a covenant between God and his People, the Christians. But there is also another covenant. It is between two human beings and which Christ has raised to the dignity of a sacrament—marriage or matrimony.

Marriage is so sacred that St. Paul uses the relationship between Christ and the Church to describe the relationship between husband and wife: “As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in eve-rything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her…” (Eph 5: 24-25).

Now some pieces of advice.

First, nothing gets better by being neglected. Your marriage will not become stronger by neglecting it. You have decided to get married because you have fallen in love with one another. But if you do not pay attention to one another, there is a danger that you will fall out of love with one another. On your wedding day, you became mag-asawa. But if you don’t nurture your married life, the time will come when “asawa” will lose the “a” and you will be “sawa” with one another.

How do you nurture your marriage? Take time out together. Go on a date. Only the two of you. Ask other couples for tips.

Second, on your wedding anniversary, celebrate. In my opinion, it is more important to celebrate your wedding anniversary than your birthday. Of course, this is true if your wedding is worth celebrating. And it is worth celebrating if you have been taking care of your marriage throughout the year.

How do you celebrate it? Go to mass together. After mass, renew your wed-ding vows. If a priest is available, do it before the priest. Go to a restaurant. Go ballroom dancing. Have fun together. If you have your unity candle, light it and say a prayer before going to bed.

This Sunday I said the following things.

Regarding the New Covenant. (1) To be a Christian is to be a member of the Church. (2) Excommunication is the penalty for serious unchristian behavior. (3) Recognition from the parish priest or bishop is necessary to be recognized as a Church organization. (4) I have to participate in the life of the Church. The Mass is a participation in the life of the Church.

Regarding marriage. (1) Nurture your marriage. Nothing gets better by being neglected. (2) Celebrate your wedding anniversary.