Feast of Corpus Christi




SERMON FOR CORPUS CHRISTI 


You look forward to spending time at the Round Table. Why? Because it’s a place where you can unwind. At least, if you are King Arthur or one of his knights, it’s a place where you get to relax, enjoy some good food, some wine, some comradery, and, best of all, you can speak freely when you’re at the Round Table. But try not to comment about that empty chair—the chair designated for Sir Lancelot. We’re not going to talk about that. We’re not going there. 


Gawain, however, can’t hold it in any longer. It has been revealed to him that Lancelot is having an affair with the Queen!! So he decides to put it out there, to speak freely. After all, isn’t that what the Round Table is all about? When it comes to this particular subject, no. The response is a vehement response: these words need to be retracted—immediately!! The goblet belonging to Lancelot is set before Sir Gawain. The implication: drink from it; partake of Sir Lancelot’s goodness. Then we can move on, to other topics of conversation. 


For Gawain, this is too much. He refuses to partake of Lancelot’s goblet. And as far as the story is concerned, it’s all downhill from here. Camelot will now be facing a long period of decline. Should Gawain be held responsible for this? Actually, if anyone is to be blamed, we will have to concentrate upon figures like Lancelot, Guinevere, and Morgan le Fay. As for Sir Gawain, he pushes the goblet away because he’s committed to being true to himself. It’s all about being what a knight is supposed to be: true. 


Now it’s time to shift our focus: from the Round Table to the Eucharistic Table. Ask yourself: am I being true? When you partake of what has been consecrated, are you being true? Keep in mind that the “amen” applies not just to what has been consecrated, but it also applies to THE PRAYER THROUGH WHICH those elements have been consecrated. Pay close attention to that prayer [referred to as “The Eucharistic Prayer”]. Within this prayer, a series of pledges are being made: to the Roman Catholic Pope; to the local Roman Catholic Bishop; and to the collective Roman Catholic Tradition. 


Perhaps you’re not prepared to make that kind of a pledge. Certainly, a non-Catholic would want to be exempted. This helps to explain why we practice a “Closed Communion.”  At first glance, a closed-communion would seem to suggest an elitist or a snobbish attitude. But this is not the church’s way of denigrating non-Catholics. Rather, properly understood, this is the church’s way of protecting the non-Catholic. It’s about preventing those in attendance from making a pledge that they might not be prepared to make. A Protestant, for example, would be hesitant about pledging unity with the Roman Catholic Pope, the local Roman Catholic Bishop, and the collective body of Roman Catholic teaching. If at some point they decide that they are ready to make such a pledge, then we would readily welcome them into a process of initiation. 


It’s easy to overlook the message contained in 1st Cor. 10:17. Partaking has to do with more than simply the notion of being nourished. When you partake, it amounts to an expression of unity. Yes, the nourishment aspect is very real. Yes, the Lord wants you to be nourished. This is what he wants for the Israelite as they travel along on their Exodus journey (see Deut. 8:11-16). He likewise wants this for you and for the wider human family. Furthermore, he wants you to be abundantly alive; alive to the fullest extent of the term (see John 6:57). Nevertheless, he also wants you to be true. 


The Round Table is for Arthur and his knights. It’s for them and them alone. The Eucharistic Table can be described as considerably more open. Still, bear this in mind: choosing to approach means that a pledge is being made. The hope is that it will be something true; that it will be an authentic pledge. It’s what the Lord desires. It’s what St. Paul desires. And deep down inside, it’s inevitably what you will come to desire. 

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