Become a ‘living tabernacle,’ carry Jesus to the world

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

   

The Spirit is gratefully alive in our Diocese and not even a pandemic can stop Him! Even amidst the great sorrows we have experienced this past year, there have been blessings, too, as some of you have shared with me about your renewed and deepened faith and a renewed appreciation for the Eucharist that truly is a gift. A fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit certainly helps us to renew ourselves and our commitment as Christ’s disciples, and hence renews and enlivens our Church.

As you may be aware, just a couple of weeks ago, the New Jersey bishops and I released a statement announcing the reinstatement of the general obligation to attend Mass, beginning on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the weekend of June 5 and June 6. Gratefully, we are again able to come home to our parishes, gathering as a Eucharistic assembly around the table of the Lord to receive Him in the Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith.   
 

As has always been the case, this obligation does not apply to individuals who are ill; who have reason to believe that they were recently exposed to the coronavirus or another serious or contagious illness; who are confined to their home, a hospital, or nursing facility; or have a serious underlying health condition. Parishioners with extenuating circumstances should consult their pastor if questions arise about the obligation to attend Mass.   
 

Corpus Christi is a wonderful Solemnity for us to gather together. As you know, the celebration of Mass and the reception of communion is so important for us as followers of Jesus. All the saints tell us the secret to life is frequent reception of Our Lord in Holy Communion! One of the greatest effects of receiving the Eucharist is that we ourselves become a “living tabernacle” carrying Jesus to the world. St. Paul understood the challenge of living a Eucharistic life and summarized well the obligation of a Christian to be a living tabernacle when he wrote, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves” (2 Cor 4:7).   
 

Ultimately, the Eucharist is what should form every aspect of our lives as Jesus’ disciples today in our world. St. Paul saw the connection between the Church and the Eucharist because both were revealed to be the Body of Christ (see 1 Cor 12:27). What is more, every sacramental communion with Him is a moment of our personal transformation. In the words of St. Augustine — “we become what we eat.” Then we are commissioned to go out and allow Christ to continue to touch the world through us. Additionally, in his “Sermon 272 on the Nature of the Sacrament of the Eucharist,” St. Augustine further explained the formational power of the Eucharist and its relationship to the Church when he wrote:
 

“If you, therefore, are Christ’s body and members, it is your own mystery that is placed on the Lord’s table! It is your own mystery that you are receiving! You are saying ‘Amen’ to what you are: your response is a personal signature, affirming your faith. When you hear ‘The Body of  Christ,’ you reply ‘Amen.’ Be a member of Christ’s body, then, so that your ‘Amen’ may ring true! … Be what you see; receive what you are.”

While the return to public worship may counter the routines which we have settled into during the pandemic, this is also a new moment to embrace again the great gift we have been given. The night before He died, Jesus gave to the Church His very own Body and Blood — knowing that for all times we desperately need Him — personally present to us in sacramental signs. Holy Communion is our pledge even now that we are to share an intimate life with Him and with all those who receive Him with prepared open hearts. At the same time, it is also true that we are in communion with those who have gone before us “marked with the sign of life.” Our loved ones on the other side of life are never more present to us than when we are sharing in the eternal Eucharistic sacrifice of Mass.    
 

May this Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ be for us a new beginning to proclaim His transforming love made present in our midst. I am so grateful for you, the local Church of Metuchen, and for your perseverance in the faith throughout this past year. Now is the time for us to open our hearts anew to the Holy Spirit and beg for Him to fill us with His love, as we receive our Lord in the Eucharist and become His living tabernacles in our world. 
 

Please know of my love and ongoing prayers for you and your families. I ask that you please pray for me, too. I eagerly look forward to seeing you at the celebration of the Holy Eucharist soon.  God bless you all.

 

With renewed best wishes, I remain

Yours in Christ,

 

Most Reverend James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA

Bishop of Metuchen