Corpus Christi: Becoming the body of Christ

A reflection for Corpus Christi based on 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. Written and spoken by Kieran J. O'Mahony OSA.

Gentle piano music to close the meditation

Transcript

John’s Lane
D08 F8NW
Podcast for Corpus Christi
inspired by the second reading, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Becoming the Body of Christ

Welcome
The Feast of Corpus Christi provides a welcome opportunity to reflect on what we “do” when we “do” Eucharist. Emphasis is on the “doing” because there is a risk of treating the feast as a doctrinal abstraction, focussing on Eucharistic Presence only.

Topic
Paul helps us here because he was always a pastoral theologian. He never wrote for the sake of just writing! Instead, he wrote because something had happened which distorted the practice of the Lord’s Supper. It does help to know the context in the Corinthian churches.

Steps
1. His report
Paul describes the tradition he himself received. His is the first of four early accounts of the Lord’s Supper in the New Testament. There is another, interestingly different account in The Didache, the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. Here is the first reading in the NET translation:

1Corinthians 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread, 24 and after he had given thanks he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, he also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, every time you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

2. The Context
Society in the Roman Empire of the day was highly stratified. The ruling class — roughly 3% — kept themselves separated from the non-élite — roughly 97%. Slaves had no status at all, of course. Social mores insisted upon stratification. There was even a scathing account of a banquet in which the host placed his guests in descending order of importance. Hard to imagine!

A feast in those days had two parts: the dinner proper, called the deipnon, followed by a drinks party, called the symposium. Finally, in those days, the Lord’s Supper was still embedded in a regular evening meal. Old habits die hard and it looks as if the rich people arrived early, tucked into the food and then moved on to the drinks party, before the poorer people were free to join the others.

1Corinthians 11:17 Now in giving the following instruction I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18 For in the first place, when you come together as a church I hear there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19 For there must in fact be divisions among you, so that those of you who are approved may be evident. 20 Now when you come together at the same place, you are not really eating the Lord’s Supper. 21 For when it is time to eat, everyone proceeds with his own supper. One is hungry and another becomes drunk. 22 Do you not have houses so that you can eat and drink? Or are you trying to show contempt for the church of God by shaming those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I will not praise you for this!

Paul’s fundamental teaching is that the social divisions — part of the Roman Empire —  should disappear. There should be no distinction whatsoever. As he says himself, in Galatians,

Galatians 3:27 For all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female —for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.

3. The teaching

Paul’s concern is that the Corinthians are not “recognising the body”. He does not mean the sacramental presence — not yet a topic for reflection. His goal all the time is the creation of alternative communities where all barriers, ethnic, social, even natural, are simply set aside. His observations and practical advice are worth paying attention to:

1Corinthians 11:27 For this reason, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A person should examine himself first, and in this way let him eat the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For the one who eats and drinks without careful regard for the body eats and drinks judgment against himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and sick, and quite a few are dead. 31 But if we examined ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned with the world. 33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that when you assemble it does not lead to judgment. I will give directions about other matters when I come.

The advise is very practical. In other words, more informally expressed, if you’re that hungry have a snack before you set out and just wait for everyone to arrive before anyone eats.

Conclusion
It is a long time since the Lord’s Supper was embedded in a regular dinner. But the teaching of St Paul can still speak: recognising the body means accepting all around us as our brothers and sisters, without distinction. The same Christ is present in the bread and in our neighbour. We cannot accept him in the sacrament and then not recognise him in the neighbour, especially the neighbour in need. Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ, is all of us and our prayer is that we may become what we receive. Amen.