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.
On this feast of Corpus Christi, we gratefully acknowledge the sacrament that Jesus defines and commands us to receive. May this precious gift of the Real Presence strengthen us for our work on earth and guide us safely to Heaven.
In this second of six presentations we hear about some of the key elements that have been a part of the Mass from the very beginning of the Church, in particular the reading of Sacred Scripture and the elements of bread and wine that become the Body and Blood of Christ.
Three Great Things 