THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
First Reading: Exodus 24: 3-8
Second Reading: Hebrews 9: 11-15
Gospel Reading: Mark 14: 12-16 and 22-26
*First reading is from the book of Exodus. A detailed description of the covenant that the Lord God made with Moses on behalf of the people of Israel is given. The covenant is sealed with the blood of animals. Moses instructs them to be obedient to the Lord God. Then Moses takes the blood and throws it upon the people. The covenant between the Lord God and Moses is a pre-figuration of the new and eternal covenant that Jesus made. He seals it with His own precious blood on Calvary.
*Second reading is from the letter to Hebrews. Jesus is portrayed as the High Priest who offers His own blood for the redemption and salvation of all humankind. Unlike the priests of the old covenant, Jesus enters the sanctuary with His own blood for our eternal redemption. He is the mediator between God and humankind. He brings eternal redemption to everyone who believes in Him.
Take: This is my body.... This is my blood. Today's Gospel reading is from St. Mark. We have a detailed description of the events of the Last Supper of Jesus with His beloved Apostles. At the Last Supper, Jesus institutes the Eucharist: He gives His body as food for us and He gives His blood as life-giving drink for all eternity. Unlike the old covenant which was sealed with the blood of animals, the new covenant is sealed with the precious blood of Jesus, the Son of God. In the Eucharist, we are fully sharing in the very life of Christ in totality. Hence, the feast of Corpus Christi- the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ- gives us a wonderful opportunity to be thankful for the most precious gift of the Eucharist and for the abiding and real presence of the Lord. Jesus is in our midst in a simple, tangible form. The feast of Corpus Christi should help us in the following ways: 1. By receiving the Holy Eucharist, we are intimately united with the Lord and we become transformed so as to become more and more like that of Jesus. 2. This is a day of humble acceptance of God's gift and it challenges us to live up to the expectations of the Lord who is always abiding in us. On the night before He died, Jesus shared Himself in the form of bread and wine with His beloved disciples and said to them: 'Do this in memory of me.' Memory keeps the past alive. It is a form of immortality. Let every celebration of the Eucharist be a memory of the Lord. He continues to walk and talk with us in the Eucharist. May the Eucharistic Lord Bless you abundantly!
"At the time of communion not only we receive Jesus but Jesus also receives us as the member of His body." - St. Pope John Paul II
"If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy communion. - St. Maximillian Kolbe
(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. Thanks.)
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