At the Passover meal with his disciples, Jesus inaugurates a new covenant in his Body and Blood that we might enter into Holy Communion with the Lord and one another.
This 4-part parish retreat takes the listener through Holy Week:
Palm Sunday – setting the stage for the events to come
Holy Thursday – Service and Sacrament
Good Friday – Sacrifice and Support
Easter – Divine Strength and Hope
Each of these presentations can be listened individually or collectively, depending on time and circumstance. May all of us prepare to enter fully into these holy days, drawing closer to Christ and one another.
Palm Sunday– setting the stage for the events to come
After teaching the crowds, Jesus feeds the 4000 with seven loaves and a few fish, foreshadowing the moment when he will institute the Eucharist at the Last Supper.
On this Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ – often known as Corpus Christi – we receive with open hearts the gift of the Eucharist. May this spiritual food strengthen us for the task at hand as the Lord nourishes us to do his work today.
Let’s examine some of the themes in the Mass readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, sometimes called Corpus Christi.
1st Reading – Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14b-16a
Moses reminds the people how they were fed by God with Manna during their journey of forty years.
Moses goes on to exhort the people to never forget the Lord their God and the marvels that they experienced.
Psalm – 147:12-15,19-20
“Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.”
We glorify God as we recall how the Lord strengthens and blesses the people with peace.
2nd Reading – 1st Corinthians 10:16-17
The cup of blessing and the bread we break are part of our communion with the blood and body of Christ.
This communion unites us to God and one another.
Gospel – John 6:51-58
Jesus proclaims that he is “the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will last forever.”
The Lord’s flesh is true food and his blood is true drink; whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood has eternal life, and Christ will raise us up on the last day.
On the road to Emmaus, two disciples are traveling the wrong way – away from Jerusalem – when they are suddenly accompanied by Jesus, whom they do not recognize. Through the Scriptures and the Breaking of the Bread their hearts blaze with faith and they return to Jerusalem. Their encounter with Christ through the Word of God and the Eucharist inspires us to draw near to the Lord at every Mass, so that we might regularly get back on track as we encounter and follow Jesus.
We celebrate the gift of the Eucharist that gives us strength to serve the Lord and one another. May the Body of Christ renew our bodies and transform our lives each and every day.
St. Paul admonishes the divisions within the Church at Corinth, citing the abuses that take place at the Lord’s Supper and how one should receive the Body and Blood of the Lord.
St. Paul warns the people of Corinth to avoid idolatry, noting the profound difference between receiving the Body and Blood of Christ as opposed to the sacrifices offered to demons.
Following the death of John the Baptist, Jesus goes to a deserted place, only to find a vast crowd in need of his teaching and guidance. There he nourishes body and soul as he takes, blesses, breaks and gives the bread and fish to feed the 5000.
Catholic Inspiration – Podcast Archives of Homilies & Talks
Three Great Things 