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 downcast disciples encounter the Risen Lord, and their faith is ignited as Christ teaches the Scriptures and breaks the bread.
Here are some of the main themes in the Mass readings for the 3rd Sunday of Easter.
1st Reading – Acts: 2:14,22-33
Peter preaches to the people about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Peter cites Psalm 16, revealing how this passage is fulfilled in Christ.
Psalm – 16:1-2,4,7-11
“Lord, you will show us the path of life.”
The passage recaps a substantial amount of what Peter quoted to the people in the first reading.
2nd Reading – 1st Peter 1:17-21
This exhortation to conduct ourselves with reverence finds its strength in Christ, the spotless unblemished blood of the lamb of God.
Christ is revealed to us through our faith, hope, and belief in God.
Gospel – Luke 24:13-35
On the road to Emmaus, two disciples encounter Jesus along the way as he interprets the scripture passages that refer to Christ.
During the breaking of the bread, they recognize Jesus – who disappears from their sight – and return to Jerusalem to announce to the disciples what they experienced.
This basic structure – Scripture and the breaking of the bread – is the basic outline for the Mass we celebrate!
Peter and John encounter a crippled man who is healed in the name of Jesus Christ, inspiring us to receive the precious gift of faith and eagerly share it with the people we meet.
St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians underscores the teaching of the Eucharist, emphasizing that Christ both defines what it is and then commands the disciples to do it in his memory.
We are nourished with the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus, instituted at the Last Supper, so that we may humbly serve one another in the name of Christ.
Three Great Things 