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Skip to comments.Catholic Caucus:Sunday Mass Readings, 06-22-14, SOL Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ-Corpus Christi
Posted on 06/21/2014 7:45:45 PM PDT by Salvation
June 22, 2014
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)
Reading 1 Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a
Moses said to the people:
"Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God,
has directed all your journeying in the desert,
so as to test you by affliction
and find out whether or not it was your intention
to keep his commandments.
He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger,
and then fed you with manna,
a food unknown to you and your fathers,
in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live,
but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD.
"Do not forget the LORD, your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
that place of slavery;
who guided you through the vast and terrible desert
with its saraph serpents and scorpions,
its parched and waterless ground;
who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock
and fed you in the desert with manna,
a food unknown to your fathers."
Responsorial Psalm Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
R/ (12) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
R/ Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R/ Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
R/ Alleluia.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R/ Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
R/ Alleluia.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R/ Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
R/ Alleluia.
Reading 2 1 Cor 10:16-17
Brothers and sisters:
The cup of blessing that we bless,
is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?
The bread that we break,
is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
Because the loaf of bread is one,
we, though many, are one body,
for we all partake of the one loaf.
Sequence - Lauda Sion
Laud, O Zion, your salvation,
Laud with hymns of exultation,
Christ, your king and shepherd true:
Bring him all the praise you know,
He is more than you bestow.
Never can you reach his due.
Special theme for glad thanksgiving
Is the quick'ning and the living
Bread today before you set:
From his hands of old partaken,
As we know, by faith unshaken,
Where the Twelve at supper met.
Full and clear ring out your chanting,
Joy nor sweetest grace be wanting,
From your heart let praises burst:
For today the feast is holden,
When the institution olden
Of that supper was rehearsed.
Here the new law's new oblation,
By the new king's revelation,
Ends the form of ancient rite:
Now the new the old effaces,
Truth away the shadow chases,
Light dispels the gloom of night.
What he did at supper seated,
Christ ordained to be repeated,
His memorial ne'er to cease:
And his rule for guidance taking,
Bread and wine we hallow, making
Thus our sacrifice of peace.
This the truth each Christian learns,
Bread into his flesh he turns,
To his precious blood the wine:
Sight has fail'd, nor thought conceives,
But a dauntless faith believes,
Resting on a pow'r divine.
Here beneath these signs are hidden
Priceless things to sense forbidden;
Signs, not things are all we see:
Blood is poured and flesh is broken,
Yet in either wondrous token
Christ entire we know to be.
Whoso of this food partakes,
Does not rend the Lord nor breaks;
Christ is whole to all that taste:
Thousands are, as one, receivers,
One, as thousands of believers,
Eats of him who cannot waste.
Bad and good the feast are sharing,
Of what divers dooms preparing,
Endless death, or endless life.
Life to these, to those damnation,
See how like participation
Is with unlike issues rife.
When the sacrament is broken,
Doubt not, but believe 'tis spoken,
That each sever'd outward token
doth the very whole contain.
Nought the precious gift divides,
Breaking but the sign betides
Jesus still the same abides,
still unbroken does remain.
The shorter form of the sequence begins here.
Lo! the angel's food is given
To the pilgrim who has striven;
see the children's bread from heaven,
which on dogs may not be spent.
Truth the ancient types fulfilling,
Isaac bound, a victim willing,
Paschal lamb, its lifeblood spilling,
manna to the fathers sent.
Very bread, good shepherd, tend us,
Jesu, of your love befriend us,
You refresh us, you defend us,
Your eternal goodness send us
In the land of life to see.
You who all things can and know,
Who on earth such food bestow,
Grant us with your saints, though lowest,
Where the heav'nly feast you show,
Fellow heirs and guests to be. Amen. Alleluia.
Gospel Jn 6:51-58
Jesus said to the Jewish crowds:
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my flesh for the life of the world."
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,
"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
Jesus said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day.
For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
remains in me and I in him.
Just as the living Father sent me
and I have life because of the Father,
so also the one who feeds on me
will have life because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven.
Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,
whoever eats this bread will live forever."
Please FReepmail me to get on/off the Alleluia Ping List.
From: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16
Israel's Character Forged in the Desert (Continuation)
God Not To Be Forgotten in the Time of Plenty (Continuation)
8:1-6. The Israelites are reminded about the way they were tested in the wilder-
ness and how God gave them special protection and fatherly care; and they are
once again exhorted to fidelity. This context needs to be borne in mind when con-
sidering v. 4: it need not be taken literally as some rabbinical fables did, which
took it to mean that in those desert years the Israelites' clothes did not wear out
and their children's clothes increased in size as they grew up.
"Man does not live by bread alone" (v. 3): Jesus will quote these words when re-
jecting Satan's first temptation in the desert (cf. Mt 4:4).
The relationship between Israel and God, which is compared to that of father and
son (v. 5) was central to Jesus' thinking and teaching. Some other Old Testament
passages, though not many, speak of this relationship (cf., e.g., Hos 11:1); a
greater number of passages apply this idea to the relationship between the Lord
and the King (cf., e.g., 2 Sam 7:14-15; Ps 2:7; 89:27).
8:7-20. This passage is more profound than might appear at first reading, because
the sacred writer is using the theme of the Land to show the salvific dimension of
God's actions. Israel's "departure from Egypt" marked the beginning of God's sal-
vific action on behalf of his chosen people. The "wilderness", described as "terri-
ble", helped to make that people realize that they needed God and helped them
to hope in him. The "promised land", a "good land", particularly when compared
with the wilderness, shows God's kindness towards Israel: in it they will find rest,
peace and happiness. The only thing they need to guard against is glorying in it,
as if they merited this good fortune. If ever they did give in to that temptation, they
would be lost. Clearly, this theological-moral lesson should be taken to heart by
everyone in his relations with God, whatever his or her circumstances.
The Canaanites went in for coarse and disgusting fertility rites to win the favor of
the gods that protected agriculture and livestock. The Israelites must do no such
thing. They should show their gratitude to the Lord who sends rain, sun and dew,
by offering sober and sensible sacrifices from field and flock. The Deuteronomic
Code (chapts. 12-26) in fact deals with agriculture-based festivals such as
"Weeks" (Deut 16:9-12), "unleavened bread" (16:3-4), "tithes" (14:22-29), etc. It
is through this, and above all, though living up to the moral demands of the Law,
that Israel will show its fidelity to Yahweh.
The ease with which men (and nations) forget God once they become rich and
prosperous is something readily proved from history. And when that happens the
threat contained in Deuteronomy in vv. 19-20 inevitably becomes a reality, for
"without a creator there can be no creature. [...] Besides, once God is forgotten
the creature is lost sight of as well" (Vatican II, "Gaudiumn Et Spes", 36); hence
the need not to put one's heart on material things. "You need to realize," St Gre-
gory of Nyssa urges, "the origin of your life, your mind, your wisdom and, what
is more important still, the fact that you know God, your hope in the kingdom of
heaven and your expectation of seeing God [...], being a son of God, a co-heir
of Christ and (dare I say it) becoming divinized: where do all these things come
from; who causes them to happen?" ("De Pauperum Amore", 23).
Christian writers often apply the benefits the Israelites received during the Exo-
dus to the graces of Baptism and the Eucharist (cf, e.g., 1 Cor 1.0:1-11). And
the Church's liturgy, after recalling, the pillar of fire, the voice of Moses on Sinai,
the manna and the water that flowed from the rock, prays that our Lord should
be for us, through his Resurrection, the light of life, the word and bread of life (cf.
Liturgy of the Hours, Prayer, Lauds, Tuesday of Week 6, Eastertide).
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
Idolatry and the Eucharist, Incompatible
14-22. After illustrating the general principles by reference to what himself does
and the lessons of the history of Israel (cf. note on chaps. 8-10), St Paul returns
to the subject of food sacrificed to idols. Christians may not attend the banquets
which take place at pagan shrines, for that would amount to idolatry. By eating
the meat of animals offered to Yahweh, Jews participated in the sacrifice and
worship in his honor; and, by receiving the body and blood of the Lord, Christians
unite themselves to Christ; similarly, those who take part in idolatrous banquets
are associating themselves not with false gods — which have no existence — but
with demons. In the Old Testament it is pointed out that things sacrificed to idols
are in fact being offered to demons, who enemies of the worship of God (cf. Deut
32:17; Ps 106: 36-38; Bar 4:7).
St Paul's words confirm basic truths of faith connected with the sublime mystery
of the Eucharist—its sacrificial character, adverted to here by drawing a parallel
between it and pagan sacrifices (cf. v. 21; Council of Trent, "De SS. Missae Sac-
rificio", chap. 1), and the real presence of Christ, as can be seen by the reference
to the body and blood of Christ (v. 16). The Church's faith has always maintained
that the holy sacrifice of the Mass is the renewal of the divine sacrifice of Calvary;
in every Mass Christ once again offers God the Father His body and blood, as a
sacrifice for all men, with the difference that what was offered on the cross in a
bloody manner is offered on the altar in an unbloody manner. "In the divine sac-
rifice that is offered in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a
bloody manner on the altar of the cross is present and is offered in an unbloody
manner (cf. Heb 9: 27). [...] For it is one and the same victim — He who now
makes the offering through the ministry of priests and He who then offered Him-
self on the cross; the only difference is in the manner of the offering" ("De SS.
Missae Sacrificio", chap. 2). "The Eucharist is above all a sacrifice — the sacri-
fice of Redemption and at the same time the sacrifice of the New Covenant" (Bl.
John Paul II, "Letter To All Bishops", 24 February 1980). See also the notes on
Mt 26:26-29 and par.
On the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, see the note on 1 Cor 11:27-32.
16-17. The principal effect of the Blessed Eucharist is intimate union with Jesus.
The very name "communion"—taken from this passage of St Paul (cf. "St Pius V
Catechism", II, 4, 4)—points to becoming one with our Lord by receiving his body
and blood. "What in fact is the bread? The body of Christ. What do they become
who receive Communion? The body of Christ" (Chrysostom, "Hom. on 1 Cor, 24,
ad loc.").
St Augustine places these words on Jesus' lips to describe what happens at Ho-
ly Communion: "You will not change me into you as happens with bodily food;
rather, you will be changed into me" ("Confessions", VII, 10, 16).
Due to this intimate union with Christ, the Eucharist is at one and the same time
the sacrament where the entire Church demonstrates and achieves its unity, and
where a very special kind of solidarity is developed among Christians. That is why
it is called a "symbol of unity" and a "bond of love;" (Council of Trent, "De SS.
Eucharistia", chap. 8; cf. "Lumen Gentium", 7; "Unitatis Redintegratio", 2). The
Fathers of the Church have seen a symbol of this union in the very materials —
bread and wine—used to make the Eucharist. The "St Pius V Catechism" sums
up this as follows: "the body of Christ, which is one, consists of many members
(cf. Rom 12:4-5; 1 Cor 10:17; 12:12), and of this union nothing is more strikingly
illustrative than the elements of bread and wine; for bread is made from many
grains and wine is pressed from many clusters of grapes. Thus they signify that
we, though many, are most closely bound together by the bond of the divine my-
stery and made, as it were, one body" (II, 4,18).
"We who are many ...": the literal translation would be "We the many ...". The
text derives from a Hebrew expression indicating plurality or even totality as dis-
tinct from a single entity or a minority; the RSV catches this idea. The same turn
of phrase is found, for example, in Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45; Is 53:11.
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: John 6:51-59
The Discourse on the Bread of Life (Continuation)
49-51. The manna during the Exodus was a figure of this bread—Christ himself—
which nourishes Christians on their pilgrimage through this world. Communion
is the wonderful banquet at which Christ gives Himself to us: "the bread which I
shall give for the life of the world is My flesh". These words promise the manifes-
tation of the Eucharist at the Last Supper: "This is My body which is for you" (1
Corinthians 11:24). The words "for the life of the world" and "for you" refer to the
redemptive value of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. In some sacrifices of the
Old Testament, which were a figure of the sacrifice of Christ, part of the animal
offered up was later used for food, signifying participation in the sacred rite (cf.
Exodus 11:3-4). So, by receiving Holy Communion, we are sharing in the sacri-
fice of Christ: which is why the Church sings in the Liturgy of the Hours on the
Feast of Corpus Christi: "O sacred feast in which we partake of Christ: His suf-
ferings are remembered, our minds are filled with His grace and we receive a
pledge of the glory that is to be ours" ("Magnificat Antiphon", Evening Prayer II).
52. Christ's hearers understand perfectly well that He means exactly what He
says; but they cannot believe that what He says could be true; if they had un-
derstood Him in a metaphorical, figurative or symbolic sense there would be no
reason for them to be surprised and nothing to cause an argument. Later, Jesus
reaffirms what He has said—confirming what they have understood Him to say
(cf. verses 54-56).
53. Once again Jesus stresses very forcefully that it is necessary to receive Him
in the Blessed Eucharist in order to share in divine life and develop the life of
grace received in Baptism. No parent is content to bring children into the world:
they have to be nourished and looked after to enable them to reach maturity.
"We receive Jesus Christ in Holy Communion to nourish our souls and to give
us an increase of grace and the gift of eternal life" ("St. Pius X Catechism", 289).
54. Jesus clearly states that His body and blood are a pledge of eternal life and
a guarantee of the resurrection of the body. St. Thomas Aquinas gives this expla-
nation: "The Word gives life to our souls, but the Word made flesh nourishes our
bodies. In this Sacrament is contained the Word not only in His divinity but also
in His humanity; therefore, it is the cause not only of the glorification of our souls
but also of that of our bodies" ("Commentary on St. John, in loc.").
Our Lord uses a stronger word than just "eating" (the original verb could be trans-
lated as "chewing") which shows that Communion is a real meal. There is no
room for saying that He was speaking only symbolically, which would mean that
Communion was only a metaphor and not really eating and drinking the Body
and Blood of Christ. "All these invitations, promises and threats sprang from the
great desire which (Jesus) had of giving us Himself in the holy Sacrament of the
altar. But why should Jesus so ardently desire us to receive Him in Holy Com-
munion? It is because love always sighs for, and tends to a union with, the object
beloved. True friends wish to be united in such a manner as to become only one.
The love of God for us being immense, He destined us to possess Him not only
in Heaven, but also here below, by the most intimate union, under the appearance
of bread in the Eucharist. It is true we do not see Him; but He beholds us, and is
really present; yes, He is present in order that we may possess Him and He con-
ceals Himself, that we may desire Him, and until we reach our true homeland Je-
sus Christ wishes in this way to be entirely ours, and to be perfectly united to us"
(St. Alphonsus Liguori, "The Love of Our Lord Jesus Christ Reduced to Practice",
Chapter 2).
55. In the same way as bodily food is necessary for life on earth, Holy Commu-
nion is necessary for maintaining the life of the soul, which is why the Church ex-
horts us to receive this Sacrament frequently: "Every day, as is desirable, and in
the greatest possible numbers, the faithful must take an active part in the sacri-
fice of the Mass, avail themselves of the pure, holy refreshment of Holy Com-
munion and make a suitable thanksgiving in return for this great gift of Christ the
Lord. Here are the words they should keep in mind: 'Jesus Christ and the Church
desire all Christ's faithful to approach the sacred banquet every day. The basis
of this desire is that they should be united to God by the sacrament and draw
strength from it to restrain lust, to wash away the slight faults of daily occurrence
and to take precautions against the more serious sins to which human frailty is
liable' (Decree of the S.C. of the Council, 20 December 1905)" (Paul VI, "Myste-
rium Fidei").
"The Savior has instituted the most august sacrament of the Eucharist, which tru-
ly contains His flesh and His blood, so that he who eats this bread may live for-
ever; whosoever, therefore, makes use of it often with devotion so strengthens the
health and the life of his soul, that it is almost impossible for him to be poisoned
by any kind of evil affection. We cannot be nourished with this flesh of life, and
live with the affections of death. [...]. Christians who are damned will be unable
to make any reply when the just Judge shows them how much they are to blame
for dying spiritually, since it was so easy for them to maintain themselves in life
and in health by eating His Body which He had left them for this purpose. Unhap-
py souls, He will say, why did you die, seeing that you had at your command the
fruit and the food of life?" (St. Francis de Sales, "Introduction to the Devout Life",
56. The most important effect of the Blessed Eucharist is intimate union with Je-
sus Christ. The very word "communion" suggests sharing in the life of our Lord
and becoming one with Him; if our union with Jesus is promoted by all the sacra-
ments through the grace which they give us, this happens more intensely in the
Eucharist, for in it we receive not only grace but the very Author of grace: "Real-
ly sharing in the body of the Lord in the breaking of the eucharistic bread, we are
taken up into communion with Him and with one another. 'Because the bread is
one, we, though many, are one body, all of us who partake of the one bread' (1
Corinthians 10:17)" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 7). Precisely because the Eu-
charist is the sacrament which best signifies and effects our union with Christ,
it is there that the whole Church manifests and effects its unity: Jesus Christ
"instituted in His Church the wonderful sacrament of the Eucharist, by which the
unity of the Church is both signified and brought about" (Vatican II, "Unitatis Re-
dintegratio", 2).
57. In Christ, the Incarnate Word sent to mankind, "the whole fullness of deity,
dwells bodily (Colossians 2:9) through the ineffable union of His human nature
and His divine nature in the Person of the Word. By receiving in this sacrament
the body and blood of Christ indissolubly united to His divinity, we share in the
divine life of the second Person of the Blessed Trinity. We will never be able to
appreciate enough the intimacy with God Himself—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—
that we are offered in the eucharistic banquet.
"We can therefore do nothing more agreeable to Jesus Christ than to go to Com-
munion with the dispositions suitable to so great an action, since we are then
united to Jesus Christ, according to the desire of this all-loving God. I have said
with 'suitable' and not 'worthy' disposition, for who could communicate if it was
necessary to be worthy of so great a Savior? No one but a God would be worthy
to receive a God. But by this word suitable, or convenient, I mean such a dispo-
sition as becomes a miserable creature, who is clothed with the unhappy flesh
of Adam. Ordinarily speaking, it is sufficient that we communicate in a state of
grace and with an anxious desire of advancing in the love of Jesus Christ" (St.
Alphonsus Liguori, "The Love of Our Lord Jesus Christ Reduced to Practice",
Chapter 2).
8. For the third time (cf. 6:31-32 and 6:49) Jesus compares the true bread of life,
His own body, with the manna God used to feed the Israelites every day during
their forty years in the wilderness—thereby inviting us to nourish our soul fre-
quently with the food of His body.
"Going to Communion every day for so many years! Anybody else would be a
saint by now, you told me, and I...I'm always the same!' Son, I replied, keep up
your daily Communion, and think: what would I be if I had not gone'" (St J. Es-
criva, "The Way", 534).
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
Tomorrow's delimna: my prayer from John & Corinthian's here, or have it from Romans 1:1-11 or Matthew 10:24-39?
I think I'll go with focusing on Corpus Christi and John/Corinthians.
And some inspiration from Msgr Pope.
But as always, focus on prayer for receiving guidance what is on the minds of the congregation and what they need to hear. It is interesting that sometimes that I end up giving a completely different prayer than what I had planned and it is fed to me.
First reading
Jeremiah 20:10-13 ©
Jeremiah said:
I hear so many disparaging me,
'"Terror from every side!"
Denounce him! Let us denounce him!'
All those who used to be my friends
watched for my downfall,
'Perhaps he will be seduced into error.
Then we will master him
and take our revenge!'
But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero;
my opponents will stumble, mastered,
confounded by their failure;
everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs.
But you, O Lord of Hosts, you who probe with justice,
who scrutinise the loins and heart,
let me see the vengeance you will take on them,
for I have committed my cause to you.
Sing to the Lord,
praise the Lord,
for he has delivered the soul of the needy
from the hands of evil men.
Psalm 68:8-10,14,17,33-35 ©
In your great love, answer me, O Lord.
It is for you that I suffer taunts,
that shame covers my face,
that I have become a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my own mother's sons.
I burn with zeal for your house
and taunts against you fall on me.
In your great love, answer me, O Lord.
This is my prayer to you,
my prayer for your favour.
In your great love, answer me, O God,
with your help that never fails:
Lord, answer, for your love is kind;
in your compassion, turn towards me.
In your great love, answer me, O Lord.
The poor when they see it will be glad
and God-seeking hearts will revive;
for the Lord listens to the needy
and does not spurn his servants in their chains.
Let the heavens and the earth give him praise,
the sea and all its living creatures.
In your great love, answer me, O Lord.
Second reading
Romans 5:12-15 ©
Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned. Sin existed in the world long before the Law was given. There was no law and so no one could be accused of the sin of 'law-breaking', yet death reigned over all from Adam to Moses, even though their sin, unlike that of Adam, was not a matter of breaking a law.
Adam prefigured the One to come, but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall. If it is certain that through one man's fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Word was made flesh and lived among us:
to all who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God.
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Spirit of truth will be my witness;
and you too will be my witnesses.
Matthew 10:26-33 ©
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: 'Do not be afraid. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops.
'Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.
'So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.'
Scripture readings taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd
First reading
Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14-16 ©
Moses said to the people: 'Remember how the Lord your God led you for forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, to test you and know your inmost heart – whether you would keep his commandments or not. He humbled you, he made you feel hunger, he fed you with manna which neither you nor your fathers had known, to make you understand that man does not live on bread alone but that man lives on everything that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
'Do not become proud of heart. Do not forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery: who guided you through this vast and dreadful wilderness, a land of fiery serpents, scorpions, thirst; who in this waterless place brought you water from the hardest rock; who in this wilderness fed you with manna that your fathers had not known.'
Psalm 147:12-15,19-20 ©
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Zion, praise your God!
He has strengthened the bars of your gates
he has blessed the children within you.
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
He established peace on your borders,
he feeds you with finest wheat.
He sends out his word to the earth
and swiftly runs his command.
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
He makes his word known to Jacob,
to Israel his laws and decrees.
He has not dealt thus with other nations;
he has not taught them his decrees.
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Second reading
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 ©
The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf.
The Sequence may be said or sung in full, or using the shorter form indicated by the asterisked verses.
Sing forth, O Zion, sweetly sing
The praises of thy Shepherd-King,
In hymns and canticles divine;
Dare all thou canst, thou hast no song
Worthy his praises to prolong,
So far surpassing powers like thine.
Today no theme of common praise
Forms the sweet burden of thy lays –
The living, life-dispensing food –
That food which at the sacred board
Unto the brethren twelve our Lord
His parting legacy bestowed.
Then be the anthem clear and strong,
Thy fullest note, thy sweetest song,
The very music of the breast:
For now shines forth the day sublime
That brings remembrance of the time
When Jesus first his table blessed.
Within our new King's banquet-hall
They meet to keep the festival
That closed the ancient paschal rite:
The old is by the new replaced;
The substance hath the shadow chased;
And rising day dispels the night.
Christ willed what he himself had done
Should be renewed while time should run,
In memory of his parting hour:
Thus, tutored in his school divine,
We consecrate the bread and wine;
And lo – a Host of saving power.
This faith to Christian men is given –
Bread is made flesh by words from heaven:
Into his blood the wine is turned:
What though it baffles nature's powers
Of sense and sight? This faith of ours
Proves more than nature e'er discerned.
Concealed beneath the two-fold sign,
Meet symbols of the gifts divine,
There lie the mysteries adored:
The living body is our food;
Our drink the ever-precious blood;
In each, one undivided Lord.
Not he that eateth it divides
The sacred food, which whole abides
Unbroken still, nor knows decay;
Be one, or be a thousand fed,
They eat alike that living bread
Which, still received, ne'er wastes away.
The good, the guilty share therein,
With sure increase of grace or sin,
The ghostly life, or ghostly death:
Death to the guilty; to the good
Immortal life. See how one food
Man's joy or woe accomplisheth.
We break the Sacrament, but bold
And firm thy faith shall keep its hold,
Deem not the whole doth more enfold
Than in the fractured part resides
Deem not that Christ doth broken lie,
'Tis but the sign that meets the eye,
The hidden deep reality
In all its fullness still abides.
– – – – – –
*Behold the bread of angels, sent
For pilgrims in their banishment,
The bread for God's true children meant,
That may not unto dogs be given:
Oft in the olden types foreshowed;
In Isaac on the altar bowed,
And in the ancient paschal food,
And in the manna sent from heaven.
*Come then, good shepherd, bread divine,
Still show to us thy mercy sign;
Oh, feed us still, still keep us thine;
So may we see thy glories shine
In fields of immortality;
*O thou, the wisest, mightiest, best,
Our present food, our future rest,
Come, make us each thy chosen guest,
Co-heirs of thine, and comrades blest
With saints whose dwelling is with thee.
Amen. Alleluia.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the living bread which has come down from heaven,
says the Lord.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.
John 6:51-58 ©
Jesus said to the Jews:
'I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give is my flesh,
for the life of the world.'
Then the Jews started arguing with one another: 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?' they said. Jesus replied:
'I tell you most solemnly,
if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you will not have life in you.
Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood
has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
lives in me
and I live in him.
As I, who am sent by the living Father,
myself draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven;
not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead,
but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.'
We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.
The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary
By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:
"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"
The devotion consists in the divine worship of the human heart of Christ, which is united to His divinity and which is a symbol of His love for us. The aim of the devotion is to make our Lord king over our hearts by prompting them to return love to Him (especially through an act of consecration by which we offer to the Heart of Jesus both ourselves and all that belongs to us) and to make reparation for our ingratitude to God.
O Heart of love, I put all my trust in Thee; for I fear all things from my own weakness, but I hope for all things from Thy goodness.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
Devotion to the Sacred Heart was the characteristic note of the piety of Saint Gertrude the Great (1256-1302), Benedictine nun and renowned mystic. She was, in fact, the first great exponent of devotion to the Sacred Heart. In our efforts to honor the Heart of Jesus we have this prayer as a model for our own:
Hail! O Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and quickening source of eternal life, infinite treasure of the Divinity, and burning furnace of divine love. Thou art my refuge and my sanctuary, 0 my amiable Savior. Consume my heart with that burning fire with which Thine is ever inflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Thy love, and let my heart be so united with Thine, that our wills may be one, and mine in all things be conformed to Thine. May Thy divine will be equally the standard and rule of all my desires and of all my actions. Amen.
Saint Gertrude
O most holy Heart of Jesus, shower Thy blessings in abundant measure upon Thy holy Church, upon the Supreme Pontiff and upon all the clergy; to the just grant perseverance; convert sinners; enlighten unbelievers; bless our relations, friends and benefactors; assist the dying; deliver the holy souls in purgatory; and extend over all hearts the sweet empire of Thy love. Amen.
O God, who didst in wondrous manner reveal to the virgin, Margaret Mary, the unsearchable riches of Thy Heart, grant that loving Thee, after her example, in all things and above all things, we may in Thy Heart find our abiding home.
Roman Missal
Reveal Thy Sacred Heart to me, O Jesus, and show me Its attractions. Unite me to It for ever. Grant that all my aspirations and all the beats of my heart, which cease not even while I sleep, may be a testimonial to Thee of my love for Thee and may say to Thee: Yes, Lord, I am all Thine;
pledge of my allegiance to Thee rests ever in my heart will never cease to be there. Do Thou accept the slight amount of good that I do and be graciously pleased to repair all m] wrong-doing; so that I may be able to bless Thee in time and in eternity. Amen.
Cardinal Merry del Val
Remember, O most sweet Jesus, that no one who has had recourse to Thy Sacred Heart, implored its help, or sought its mercy was ever abandoned. Encouraged with confidence, O tenderest of hearts, we present ourselves before Thee, crushed beneath the weight of our sins. In our misery, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, despise not our simple prayers, but mercifully grant our requests. Amen.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
Only for Love: The Sacred Heart and the Priesthood [Catholic Caucus]
Catholic Word of the Day: LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART, 10-19-09
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Devotion to the Sacred Heart Today
The Biblical Foundation of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus [Ecumenical]
Heart to Heart (Sacred Heart of Jesus Devotion) [St. Margaret Mary Alacoque]
(June) The Month of the Sacred Heart {Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus [St. Margaret Mary Alacoque]
The Heart of the World (On the Sacred Heart of Jesus) (Catholic Caucus)
The Sacred Heart Is The Holy Eucharist(Catholic Caucus)
The Origin of the Sacred Heart Badge
Importance of Devotion to the Sacred Heart
An Awesome Homily on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Father Edmond Kline
Catholic Prayer and Devotion: June the Month of the Sacred Heart
Catholic Devotions: Sacred Heart of Jesus
Pope Urges Jesuits to Spread Sacred Heart Devotion
Homilies preached by Father Altier on the Feast of the Sacred Heart
Catholic Meditation and Devotion: The Sacred Heart of Jesus
Daily Recomendation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus powerful prayer!
The Sacred Heart and the Eucharist
The Love of the Sacred Heart
On the Sacred Heart - "We Adore God's Love of Humanity"
HAURIETIS AQUAS (On Devotion To The Sacred Heart) - Encyclical by Pope Pius XII
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
Sacred Heart a Feast of God's Love, Says John Paul II
The Sacred Heart of Jesus: Symbol of Combativity and the Restoration of Christendom
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus-The Early Church, Middle Ages up to St. Margaret Mary
See this Heart
God Will Act and Will Reign
About Devotion To The Sacred Heart:The Story Of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
Rediscover Feast of Sacred Heart, John Paul II Tells Youth
"Behold this Heart which has loved men so much, and yet men do not want to love Me in return. Through you My divine Heart wishes to spread its love everywhere on earth."
- Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary
Our Lord also made 12 promises to St. Margaret Mary for those that are devoted to His Sacred Heart.
Pope's Intentions
Universal: That the unemployed may receive support and find the work they need to live in dignity.
For Evangelization: That Europe may rediscover its Christian roots through the witness of believers.
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) - Solemnity - Year A
Commentary of the day
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein] (1891-1942), Carmelite, martyr, co-patron of Europe
Poem « I will remain with you », 1938 (trans. ©Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites, 1992)
"Whoever eats this bread will live forever"
This Heart of the Trinity,
beats for us in a small tabernacle
Where it remains mysteriously hidden
In that still, white host.
That is your royal throne on earth, 0 Lord,
Which visibly you have erected for us,
And you are pleased when I approach it.
Full of love, you sink your gaze into mine
And bend your ear to my quiet words
And deeply fill my heart with peace.
Yet your love is not satisfied
With this exchange that could still lead to separation:
Your heart requires more.
You come to me as early morning's meal each daybreak.
Your flesh and blood become food and drink for me
And something wonderful happens.
Your body mysteriously permeates mine
And your soul unites with mine: .
I am no longer what once I was.
You come and go, but the seed
That you sowed for future glory, remains behind (Mk 4,26; Jn 12,24),
Buried in this body of dust.
A luster of heaven remains in the soul,
A deep glow remains in the eyes,
A soaring in the tone of voice.
There remains the bond that binds heart to heart,
The stream of life that springs from yours
And animates each limb (1Co 12,27).
How wonderful are your gracious wonders!
All we can do is be amazed and stammer and fall silent
Because intellect and words fail.
The Gift of His Body and Blood
Fr. Jack Peterson, YA
My mother's love for me and my sisters was deep and powerful. I knew from my earliest memories that I was precious to her and that her love for me was a driving force in her life. She manifested that love in many ways, one of which was her untiring commitment to feeding her chicks. My mother had a mission to provide the family with meals that were both delicious and nutritious. She made my school lunch every day. The standard brown lunch bag could hardly hold all of the love that was packed in it. My sandwiches were the envy of my classmates (they often did not fit in the standard plastic bags), my napkins came with a handwritten note, and I always had a dessert (except during Lent).
Then, there was dinner. In the evenings, we sat at the table almost every night as a family in spite of busy schedules and various sporting events. Mom's dinners were planned and executed with love and art. My friends had a habit of showing up at dinnertime and on holidays, knowing that there would always be a seat for them at the Peterson banquet table. She seemed to exhaust herself, pouring her life out in this service to her husband and children.
My mother, God rest her soul, was not satisfied with giving us life; she was radically committed to giving us food for the journey as well.
I can see now that Mom took a page from God Our Father's playbook. Out of an infinite love, God Our Father created us in His image and likeness. Then, out that same font of love, He sent His only begotten Son to redeem us. In addition, He sets a table for His family, providing an extraordinary meal that heals, nourishes and sustains us. This meal is terribly unique because in God's crazy plan of love, He chooses to nourish us with His very self, His precious body and blood.
I just came back from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Marymount University. We visited the place where Christians have commemorated the Upper Room for centuries. It was taken over by the Muslims at one point and turned into a mosque. Presently, it is a museum owned by the Israeli government, and only two Christian symbols remain in that place. One is an old pillar in the corner with worn pelicans on it. Pelicans are an early Christian symbol for Jesus in the Eucharist. When food becomes scarce, a pelican will pierce its breast with its own beak and feed its little ones with its own flesh in order to keep them alive.
"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink."
The Eucharist is not only food for the journey, it is also presence. Our Lord promised His disciples that He would remain with them until the end of time. Our Lord is faithful to that promise by being present to us in the sacred Scriptures, the community of believers that pray together, the office of the priesthood and in the beauty of creation and Christian art. However, the most unique way in which Our Lord is faithful to that promise is by His divine presence in the holy Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith. "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him."
The reality of this divine presence and its power to strengthen and give new life is recounted by so many Christian men and women down through the centuries. One testimony is given beautifully by Cardinal Francis Xavier Van Thuan in his book published in 2000, Testimony of Hope. There, he describes his capture in Vietnam by the communists and his 13 years in prison, nine of which were spent in solitary confinement. He and the other Catholics would find creative ways to smuggle in bread and wine, and he would celebrate Mass at night. During the breaks at the weekly indoctrination sessions, they would distribute the Eucharist to Catholics in the other groups present. He describes the immensity of the gift of the Eucharist for all of them this way:
"Everyone knew that Jesus was in their midst. At night, prisoners would take turns for adoration. With His silent presence, the eucharistic Jesus helped us in unimaginable ways. Many Christians returned to a fervent faith-life, and their witness of service and love had an ever greater impact on the other prisoners. Even Buddhists and other non-Christians came to the faith. The strength of Jesus' love was irresistible."
Lord Jesus, how can we ever thank you enough for the supreme gift of your body and blood?
Fr. Peterson is assistant chaplain at Marymount University in Arlington and director of the Youth Apostles Institute in McLean.
**One testimony is given beautifully by Cardinal Francis Xavier Van Thuan in his book published in 2000, Testimony of Hope.**
What a story!
Year A - The Body and Blood of Christ
Anyone who eats this bread will live forever
John 6:51-58
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
53 So Jesus said to them, " Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day;
55 for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.
56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.
57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.
58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever." (NRSV)
Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus
I am the bread of life that has come down from Heaven, the celestial manna that gives life unlike the manna eaten by the people in the desert who are dead. My food is food for eternal life.
Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
I am the Word of God; I am the truth. I repeat, unless you eat of my flesh and drink of my blood you have no life in you.
During the last supper, I consecrated the bread as my flesh and the wine as my blood in the new Sacrament of thanksgiving; I gave it to my apostles and commanded them to do this in memory of me.
As Savior of the world, my mission is to teach the soul the way and the truth, and to lead it to life. I am the life of the soul; I have made myself available as food for the soul in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Those who hunger for me will be filled. Those who thirst for me will be satisfied.
I designated my apostles as priests and ministers of the Holy Eucharist, anointed with the power to transmit this ministry in my Church to other priests.
By my command, I instituted the priesthood and the sacrament of immortality. I make my self truly available to you every time the bread and wine is consecrated by one of my anointed priests.
In human terms it is said: "you are what you eat", I tell you solemnly, when you repent of your sins and receive me in a state of grace, then as you eat my flesh which is the bread of life and drink my blood which is the elixir of immortality, you are purified and prepared for eternal life, where you will become like me.
I am waiting for you to receive me worthily when you come to Holy Mass; I am also truly present in every tabernacle, ready to listen to your prayers and to bless you when you acknowledge me. I love you.
Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary
This Sunday in many places features the (moved) Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Our Lord.
While you may puzzle over my title, allow me to explain it later. On a Solemn feast like this many things occur that might be preached and taught. Allow three areas for reflection: The Reality of the Eucharist, The Requirement of the Eucharist, the Remembrance of the Eucharist. We will look at each in order.
I. The Reality of the Eucharist - On this solemn feast we are called above all to faith in the fact, as revealed by the Lord himself, that the Eucharist, the Holy Communion we partake of, is in fact, a reception of the very Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, whole and entire, in his glorified state. We do not partake of a symbol, the Eucharist is not a metaphor, it is truly the Lord. Neither is it a piece of his flesh, but is Christ, whole and entire. Scripture attests to this in many places:
A. Luke 22:19-20 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. And likewise the cup after supper, saying, This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
B. 1 Cor 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a partaking in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a partaking in the body of Christ?
C. Luke 24:35 They recognized him in the breaking of the bread.
D. 1 Cor 11:29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.
E. John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.
This last quote is from our Gospel for todays feast. The passage is a profound theology of the Eucharist from Jesus himself and he makes it clear that we are not permitted to think of the Eucharist in symbolic or metaphor.
As he speaks the words, the bread is my flesh, the Jewish people hearing him grumbled in protest. Jesus did not seek to reassure them or insist that we was speaking only symbolically when he said they must eat his flesh. Rather he becomes even more adamant by shifting his vocabulary from the polite form of eating, φάγητε (phagete meaning simply to eat) to the impolite form, τρώγων (trogon meaning to munch, gnaw or chew).
So insistent was he that they grasp this that he permitted the fact that most left him that day and would no longer follow in his company due to this teaching (cf Jn 6:66). Yes the Lord paid quite a price for his graphic and hard teaching (Jn 6:60).
Today, he asks us, Do you also want to leave me? (Jn 6:67). We must supply our answer each time we approach the altar and hear the word, The Body of Christ. It is here that we answer the Lord, Amen as if to say, Lord, to whom shall we go, you have the word of eternal life! (Jn 6:68).
Would that people grasped that the Lord himself was truly present in our Churches! Were that so, one could never empty our parishes of those seeking to pray with the Lord. As it is, only 27% come to Mass regularly. This is more evidence of the narrow road and how few there are who find it. As Jesus experienced that most left him, so too many continue to leave him or stand far away, either through indifference or false notions.
What father would not be severely alarmed if one of his children stopped eating. Consider too Gods alarm that many of us have stopped eating. This leads us to the next point.
II. The Requirement of the Eucharist When I was a kid I just thought of Church and Communion as something my mom made me do, it was just rituals and stuff. I never thought of it as essential for my survival. But Jesus teaches something very profound in Johns Gospel today when he was teaching about Holy Communion (the Eucharist). In effect he says that without Holy Communion we will starve and die spiritually.
Here is what Jesus says, Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. (John 6:53)
As a kid and even a young adult I never thought of Holy Communion as essential for my life, as something that, if I didnt receive it regularly, I would die spiritually. But it makes sense doesnt it? If we dont eat food in our physical lives we grow weak and eventually die. It is the same with Holy Communion.
Remember in the Book of Exodus: the people were without food in the desert and they feared for their lives. So God gave them bread from heaven called manna that they collected each morning. Without eating that bread from heaven they would never have made it to the Promised Land, they would have died in the desert.
It is the same with us. Without receiving Jesus, our Living Manna from heaven in Holy Communion we will not make it to our Promised Land of Heaven! I guess its not just merely a ritual after all. It is essential for our survival.
Dont miss Holy Communion! Jesus urges you to eat.
A mother and father in my parish recently noticed their daughter wasnt eating. Within a very short time they took her to the doctor who discovered the problem and now the young girl is able to eat again. Those parents would have moved heaven and earth to make sure their daughter was able to eat.
It is the same with God. Jesus urges us to eat, to receive the Holy Communion every Sunday without fail. Jesus urges us with this word: Unless! Holy Communion is our required food.
III. The Remembrance of the Eucharist. The word remembrance comes up a lot in reference to Holy Communion and todays readings. Consider the following
A. Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God, has directed all your journeying in the desert and then fed you with manna (Deut 8).
B. Do not forget the LORD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt (Deut 8:24)
C. Do this in remembrance of me .(1 Cor 11:24 inter al).
What is remembrance and why is it important? In effect, to remember is to have present in your mind what God has done for you so that youre grateful, to have it so present to you, so that you are different. God has saved us, made us his children, and opened heaven for us. Yet, our minds are very weak and we too easily let this slip from our conscious thoughts. Thus, the summons to an ἀνάμνησιν (anamnesin) or remembrance that is so common in the Eucharistic liturgy, is a summons to our minds to be open to, and powerfully aware of what the Lord has done for us, Dont just stand or kneel there, forgetting, let this be present to you as a living and conscious reality, that changes you!
Are you a mouse or a man? So here comes the question. Back in seminary days we were all given the example of a mouse who runs across the altar and takes a consecrated host and runs off and eats it. And we were asked, Does he eat the body of Christ? Yes! For the Eucharist has a reality unto itself. But does he receive a sacrament? No! A mouse has no mind. It eats the very Body of Christ but to no avail for it has no conscious awareness or appreciation of of what (whom) it eats. And so here comes the question Are you a mouse or a man?
How do you receive Holy Communion? Do you go up mindlessly, shuffling along in the Communion line in a mechanistic way? Or do you go up powerfully aware of He, whom you are bout to receive? Do you remember, do you have vividly present to your mind what the Lord has done for you? Are you grateful and amazed at what he has done and what he offers? Or are you just like a mouse having something mindlessly put into your mouth?
Some people put more faith in Tylenol than they do the Eucharist. Why? Because when they take Tylenol they actually expect something to happen, for the pain to go away, and for there to be relief and healing. But when it comes to Holy Communion, they expect next to nothing. To them, its just a ritual, time to go up and get the wafer, (pardon the expression).
Really?! Nothing? How can this be? Poor catechesis? Sure. Little faith? Sure. Boredom? Yes indeed. At some level it can be no better than a mouse eating a host. We are receiving the Lord of all creation, yet most expect little.
To this the Church says, Remember! Have present to your mind all that the Lord has done for you and what he is about to do. Let this reality of the Lords presence be alive in your mind so that it changes you and makes you profoundly grateful and joyful. Become the One you receive!
Jesus is more powerful than Tylenol and we are men (and women) not mice.
On this Solemnity of the Body of Christ we are summoned to deepen our faith in the Lord, present in the Eucharist, and acting through his Sacraments. Routine may have dulling effects, but it cannot be so that we receive the Lord of glory each Sunday in any way that would be called mindless.
Ask the Lord to anoint your mind so that you remember and never forget.
Video at the site
The Body and Blood of Christ
Reading I: Deut 8:2-3,14-16 II: 1Cor 10:16-17
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
53 So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you;
54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.
58 This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever."
This passage clearly refers to Jesus' institution of the Eucharist. Eating his flesh and drinking his blood provides a salvation that has life (v.53), has eternal life (v.54), and unites with God (v.56).
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Solemnity of
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Corpus Christi
Second Sunday after Pentecost or
Thursday after Trinity Sunday
The High Feast of the Lamb ((detail) Ghent altarpiece - Jan Van Eyck 16th c
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you; he who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." -- John 6:53, 54
Corpus Christi Introduction | Catechism excerpt | Directory on Popular Piety excerpt | Readings for Corpus Christi | Family Activities | The Holy Eucharist: Resources for Devotion - Adoration - Benediction - Doctrine - Study - Link to order Holy Eucharist Booklets [the Adoremus Website] | Corpus Christi Novena [EWTN Website] | MYSTICI CORPORIS CHRISTI, Encyclical of Pope Pius XII on the Mystical Body of Christ [Vatican Website] | Homily of Pope Benedict XVI 2005 | Homily of Pope Benedict XVI 2006
Corpus Christi
The Solemnity of Corpus Christi commemorates the institution of the Holy Eucharist, paralleling Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday) commemorating Our Lord's institution of the Eucharist. Corpus Christ was introduced in the late 13th century to encourage the faithful give special honor to the institution of the Holy Eucharist to the Blessed Sacrament. The official title of this Solemnity was changed in 1970 to The Body and Blood of Christ (Latin: Sollemnitas Sanctissimi Corporis et Sanguinis Christi); and it is still on the Roman Missal's official Calendar for the universal Church on Thursday after Trinity Sunday; however, where it is not a day of obligation (as in the United States) it is usually celebrated on the Sunday following Trinity Sunday.
Corpus Christi became a mandatory feast in the Roman Church in 1312. But nearly a century earlier, Saint Juliana of Mont Cornillon, promoted a feast to honor the Blessed Sacrament. From early age Juliana, who became an Augustinian nun in Liége, France, in 1206, had a great veneration for the Blessed Sacrament, and longed for a special feast in its honor. She had a vision of the Church under the appearance of the full moon having one dark spot, which signified the absence of such a solemnity. She made known her ideas to the Bishop of Liége, Robert de Thorete, to the Dominican Hugh who later became cardinal legate in the Netherlands, and to Jacques Panaléon, at the time Archdeacon of Liége and who later became Pope Urban IV. Bishop Robert de Thorete ordered that the feast be celebrated in his diocese.
Pope Urban IV later published the Bull Transiturus (September 8, 1264), in which, after having extolled the love of Our Savior as expressed in the Holy Eucharist, ordered the annual celebration of Corpus Christi on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. More than four decades later, Pope Clement V published a new decree which embodied Urban IV's decree and ordered the adoption of the feast at the General Council of Vienna (1311). Pope John XXII, successor of Clement V, urged this observance.
The processions on Corpus Christi to honor the Holy Eucharist were not mentioned in the decrees, but had become a principal feature of the feast's celebration by the faithfl, and became a tradition throughout Europe. These processions were endowed with indulgences by Popes Martin V and Eugene IV.
(Principal source - Catholic Encyclopedia - 1913 edition, )
Catechism of the Catholic Church - The Eucharist §§ 1322 - 1419
1324 The Eucharist is "source and summit of the Christian life." "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch."
1325 "The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the culmination both of God's action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit."
1326 Finally, by the Eucharistic Celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life, when God will be all in all.
1327 In brief, the Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith: "Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking."
Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy Excerpt:
Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
160. The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ is observed on the Thursday following on the solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity. This feast is both a doctrinal and cultic response to heretical teaching on the mystery of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and the apogee of an ardent devotional movement concentrated on the Sacrament of the Altar. It was extended to the entire Latin Church by Urban IV in 1264.
Popular piety encouraged the process that led to the institution of the feast of Corpus Christi, which reciprocally inspired the development of new forms of Eucharistic piety among the people of God.
For centuries, the celebration of Corpus Christi remained the principal point of popular piety's concentration on the Eucharist. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, faith, in reaction to various forms of protestantism, and culture (art, folklore and literature) coalesced in developing lively and significant expressions Eucharistic devotion in popular piety.
161. Eucharistic devotion, which is so deeply rooted in the Christian faithful, must integrate two basic principles:
* the supreme reference point for Eucharistic devotion is the Lord's Passover; the Pasch as understood by the Fathers, is the feast of Easter, while the Eucharist is before all else the celebration of Paschal Mystery or of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ;
* all forms of Eucharisit devotion must have an intrinsic reference to the Eucharistic Sacrifice, or dispose the faithful for its celebration, or prolong the worship which is essential to that Sacrifice.
Hence, the Rituale Romanum states "The faithful, when worshipping Christ present in the Sacrament of the Altar, should recall that this presence comes from the Sacrifice of the Eucharist, and tends towards sacramental and spiritual communion"(169).
162. The Corpus Christi procession represents the typical form of an Eucharistic procession. It is a prolongation of the celebration of the Eucharist: immediately after Mass, the Sacred Host, consecrated during the Mass, is borne out of the Church for the Christian faithful "to make public profession of faith and worship of the Most Blessed Sacrament"(170).
The faithful understand and appreciate the values inherent in the procession: they are aware of being "the People of God", journeying with the Lord, and proclaiming faith in him who has become truly "God-amongst-us".
It is necessary however to ensure that the norms governing processions be observed(171), especially those ensuring respect for the dignity and reverence of the Blessed Sacrament(172). It is also necessary to ensure that the typical elements of popular piety accompanying the procession, such as the decoration of the streets and windows with flowers and the hymns and prayers used during the procession, truly "lead all to manifest their faith in Christ, and to give praise to the Lord"(173), and exclude any forms of competition.
163. The Eucharistic procession is normally concluded by a blessing with the Blessed Sacrament. In the specific case of the Corpus Christi procession, the solemn blessing with the Blessed Sacrament concludes the entire celebration: the usual blessing by the priest is replaced by the blessing with the Blessed Sacrament.
It is important that the faithful understand that this blessing is not an independent form of Eucharistic piety, but the end of a prolonged act of worship. Hence, liturgical norms prohibit "exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for the purpose of giving the blessing"(174).
(Link to complete Directory on Popular Piety andthe Liturgy on Vatican web site)
Readings for Corpus Christi
O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament
have left us a memorial of your Passion,
grant us, we pray,
so to revere the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood
that we may always experience in ourselves
the fruits of your redemption.
Who live and reign with God the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.
Readings for Mass
Year A
First Reading: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a
Moses said to the people: "Remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments, or not. And He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Do not forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground hwere there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna which your fathers did not know."
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ? The Bread which we break, is it not a participation in the Body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
Gospel Reading: John 6:51-58
Jesus said to the Jews, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh." The Jews them disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you; he who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever."
Year B
First Reading: Exodus 24:3-8
Second Reading: Hebrews 9:11-15
Gospel Reading: Mark 14:12-16,22-26
Year C
First Reading: Genesis 14:18-20
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!" And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
Gospel Reading: Luke 9:11-17
When the crowds learned it, they followed him; and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and cured those who had need of healing. Now the day began to wear away; and the twelve came and said to him, "Send the crowd away, to go into the villages and country round about, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a lonely place." But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish--unless we are to go and buy food for all these people." For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, "Make them sit down in companies, about fifty each." And they did so, and made them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were satisfied. And they took up what was left over, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
Family Activities:
Saint Thomas Aquinas was given the task of composing hymns for the celebration of Corpus Christi by Pope Urban IV. These are among the best known (and beloved) of all Latin hymns, because they were traditionally sung by the people during regular Eucharistic Devotions, as well as by the choir on Holy Thursday and Corpus Christi. (Catholics over 50 can probably sing these by heart even yet.) The hymns are Lauda Sion - Pange Lingua - Tantum Ergo
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Saint Juliana of Cornillon
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Our catechesis today deals with Saint Juliana of Cornillon, better known as Saint Juliana of Liège. Born at the end of the twelfth century, Juliana was orphaned young and became an Augustinian nun. Intelligent and cultured, she was drawn to contemplative prayer and devotion to the sacrament of the Eucharist. As the result of a recurring vision, Juliana worked to promote a liturgical feast in honour of the Eucharist. The feast of Corpus Christi was first celebrated in the Diocese of Liège, and began to spread from there. Pope Urban IV, who had known Juliana in Liège, instituted the solemnity of Corpus Christi for the universal Church and charged Saint Thomas Aquinas with composing the texts of the liturgical office. The Pope himself celebrated the solemnity in Orvieto, then the seat of the papal court, where the relic of a celebrated Eucharistic miracle, which had occurred the previous year, was kept. As we recall Saint Juliana of Cornillon, let us renew our faith in Christ's true presence in the Eucharist and pray that the "springtime of the Eucharist" which we are witnessing in the Church today may bear fruit in an ever greater devotion to the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood.
The Body of Christ
Gods Solidarity Never Ceases to Amaze Us (Pope Francis on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi)
The Blessed Sacrament: It's either All or nothing
WDTPRS: Corpus Christi I affirm my subjugation to Christ vanquisher of hell and my sins.
On Corpus Christi, The Sacred Teaches
Pope celebrates feast of Corpus Domini
The Mystic, the Doubter, the Pope and the Dumb Ox: The Fascinating Origins of Corpus Christi
The Early Christians Believed in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist
Best Ever Homily on The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Corpus Christi: The Body and Blood of Christ (Procession) [Catholic Caucus]
Corpus Christi (by St. Peter Julian Eymard)
Beginning Catholic: The Eucharist: In the Presence of the Lord Himself [Ecumenical]
Christ the Miracle Worker in the Eucharist(Catholic Caucus)
St. Cyril of Jerusalem: Catechetical Lectures - Lecture XXII on the Body and blood of Christ
TransubstantiationHard to Believe? [open]
On Daily Bread [OPEN]
The Meal of Melchizedek (what is meant by Christs words, "This is my body; this is my blood")
The Eucharist: The Lord's Supper
Pope Benedict--Jesus' Incarnation and Presence in the Eucharist confounds the wisdom of men
Corpus Christi Quiz
Pope leads Corpus Christi observance
This is My Body, This is My Blood
Feast of Corpus Christi - Sacrifice, Fellowship Meal or Real Presence?
The Eucharist and the Mystery of Fatherly Love
The Consecrated Host truly is the Bread of Heaven
Corpus Christi Around the World
Corpus Christi
Back to the Future: Reviving Corpus Christi Processions
Homily of Pope Benedict XVI for the Feast of Corpus Christi
The Banquet of Corpus Christi - "Why did Jesus give us His Body and Blood?"
A Reflection on Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi celebrations in Poland (gallery)
Pope Leads Corpus Christi Procession - "We Entrust These Streets to His Goodness"
Day 37 of Pope Benedict XV's Reign - Feast of Corpus Christi
Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop
Optional Memorial
June 22nd
unknown artist
Saint Paulinus was born of a patrician Roman family in Bordeaux, he was successively prefect, senator, and consul. He married while still a pagan. Later on he converted and became a monk and a bishop. He gave his people not only an example of virtue but also wise guidance during the Gothic invasion.
Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
O God, who made the Bishop Saint Paulinus of Nola
outstanding for love of poverty and for pastoral care,
graciously grant that, as we celebrate his merits,
we may imitate the example of his charity.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.
First Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:9-15
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. And in this matter I give my advice: it is best for you now to complete what a year ago you began not only to do but to desire, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a man has, not according to what he has not. I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their want, so that their abundance may supply your want, that there may be equality. As it is written, "He who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack."
Gospel Reading: Luke 12: 32-34
"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Saint John Fisher, Bishop & Martyr
Optional Memorial with Saint Thomas More, Martyr
June 22
Drawing (conté crayon) by Helen Hull Hitchcock
John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester
Born at Beverly, 1469 - martyred June 22, 1535, Tower of London
Canonized (with Saint Thomas More) 1935
Saint John Fisher studied theology in Cambridge, England and became Bishop of Rochester. His friend Saint Thomas More wrote of him, "I reckon in this realm no one man, in wisdom, learning, and long approved virtue together, meet to be matched and compared with him."
Saint John Fisher and his friend Saint Thomas More gave up their lives in testimony to the unity of the Church and to the indissolubility of marriage.
Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by the Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
Born at Beverly, 1469 + June 22, 1535, Tower of London
Reply to Bishops Stokesley, Gardiner and Tunstal, sent to the Tower by Thomas Cromwell to persuade Fisher to submit to the King:
Methinks it had been rather our parts to stick together in repressing these violent and unlawful intrusions and injuries dayly offered to our common mother, the holy Church of Christ, than by any manner of persuasions to help or set forward the same.
And we ought rather to seek by all means the temporal destruction of the so ravenous wolves, that daily go about worrying and devouring everlastingly, the flock that Christ committed to our charge, and the flock that Himself died for, than to suffer them thus to range abroad.
But (alas) seeing we do it not, you see in what peril the Christian state now standeth: We are besieged on all sides, and can hardly escape the danger of our enemy. And seeing that judgment is begone at the house of God, what hope is there left (if we fall) that the rest shall stand!
The fort is betrayed even of them that should have defended it. And therefore seeing the matter is thus begun, and so faintly resisted on our parts, I fear that we be not the men that shall see the end of the misery.
Wherefore, seeing I am an old man and look not long to live, I mind not by the help of God to trouble my conscience in pleasing the king this way whatsoever become of me, but rather here to spend out the remnant of my old days in praying to God for him.
On the scaffold he said to the people assembled:
Christian people, I am come hither to die for the faith of Christ's Holy Catholic Church, and I thank God hitherto my stomach hath served me very well thereunto, so that yet I have not feared death.
Wheefore I do desire you all to help and assist me with your prayers, that at the very point and instant of death's stroke, I may in that very moment stand steadfast without fainting in any one point of the Catholic faith free from any fear; and I beseech Almighty God of His infinite goodness to save the king and this Realm, and that it may please Him to hold His holy hand over it, and send the king good Counsel.
He then knelt, said the Te Deum, In te domine speravi, and submitted to the axe.
O God, who in martyrdom
have brought true faith to its highest expression,
graciously grant
that, strengthened through the intercession
of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More,
we may confirm by the witness of our life
the faith we profess with our lips.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.
First Reading: I Peter 4:12-19
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a wrongdoer, or a mischief-maker; yet if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but under that name let him glorify God. For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? And "If the righteous man is scarcely saved, where will the impious and sinner appear?" Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will do right and entrust their souls to a faithful Creator.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:34-39
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's foes will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Saint Thomas More, Martyr
Optional Memorial with Saint John Fisher
June 22nd
Sir Thomas More
Hans Holbein the Younger
Tempera on wood, 74,2 x 59 cm
Frick Collection, New York
Saint Thomas More was born in London and was Chancellor of King Henry VIII. As a family man, a public servant, and writer, he displayed a rare combination of human warmth, Christian wisdom, and sense of humor.
Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
O God, who in martyrdom
have brought true faith to its highest expression,
graciously grant
that, strengthened through the intercession
of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More,
we may confirm by the witness of our life
the faith we profess with our lips.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.
First Reading: I Peter 4:12-19
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a wrongdoer, or a mischief-maker; yet if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but under that name let him glorify God. For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? And "If the righteous man is scarcely saved, where will the impious and sinner appear?" Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will do right and entrust their souls to a faithful Creator.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:34-39
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's foes will be those of his own household. 37 He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
Related Pages:
Voices, Young Writers Award -- Thomas More: A Saint for Today Bernadette Pfang, Voices, Michaelmas 2007
Voices Young Writer Award - Pentecost 2004
A Life Lived with Faith and Reason - by Anna Maria Mendell
Martyr and Patron Saint of Statesmen, Politicians and Lawyers
1. The life and martyrdom of Saint Thomas More have been the source of a message which spans the centuries and which speaks to people everywhere of the inalienable dignity of the human conscience, which, as the Second Vatican Council reminds us, is "the most intimate centre and sanctuary of a person, in which he or she is alone with God, whose voice echoes within them" (Gaudium et Spes, 16). Whenever men or women heed the call of truth, their conscience then guides their actions reliably towards good. Precisely because of the witness which he bore, even at the price of his life, to the primacy of truth over power, Saint Thomas More is venerated as an imperishable example of moral integrity. And even outside the Church, particularly among those with responsibility for the destinies of peoples, he is acknowledged as a source of inspiration for a political system which has as its supreme goal the service of the human person.
Recently, several Heads of State and of Government, numerous political figures, and some Episcopal Conferences and individual Bishops have asked me to proclaim Saint Thomas More the Patron of Statesmen and Politicians. Those supporting this petition include people from different political, cultural and religious allegiances, and this is a sign of the deep and widespread interest in the thought and activity of this outstanding Statesman.
2. Thomas More had a remarkable political career in his native land. Born in London in 1478 of a respectable family, as a young boy he was placed in the service of the Archbishop of Canterbury, John Morton, Lord Chancellor of the Realm. He then studied law at Oxford and London, while broadening his interests in the spheres of culture, theology and classical literature. He mastered Greek and enjoyed the company and friendship of important figures of Renaissance culture, including Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam.
His sincere religious sentiment led him to pursue virtue through the assiduous practice of asceticism: he cultivated friendly relations with the Observant Franciscans of the Friary at Greenwich, and for a time he lived at the London Charterhouse, these being two of the main centres of religious fervour in the Kingdom. Feeling himself called to marriage, family life and dedication as a layman, in 1505 he married Jane Colt, who bore him four children. Jane died in 1511 and Thomas then married Alice Middleton, a widow with one daughter. Throughout his life he was an affectionate and faithful husband and father, deeply involved in his children's religious, moral and intellectual education. His house offered a welcome to his children's spouses and his grandchildren, and was always open to his many young friends in search of the truth or of their own calling in life. Family life also gave him ample opportunity for prayer in common and lectio divina, as well as for happy and wholesome relaxation. Thomas attended daily Mass in the parish church, but the austere penances which he practised were known only to his immediate family.
3. He was elected to Parliament for the first time in 1504 under King Henry VII. The latter's successor Henry VIII renewed his mandate in 1510, and even made him the Crown's representative in the capital. This launched him on a prominent career in public administration. During the following decade the King sent him on several diplomatic and commercial missions to Flanders and the territory of present-day France. Having been made a member of the King's Council, presiding judge of an important tribunal, deputy treasurer and a knight, in 1523 he became Speaker of the House of Commons.
Highly esteemed by everyone for his unfailing moral integrity, sharpness of mind, his open and humorous character, and his extraordinary learning, in 1529 at a time of political and economic crisis in the country he was appointed by the King to the post of Lord Chancellor. The first layman to occupy this position, Thomas faced an extremely difficult period, as he sought to serve King and country. In fidelity to his principles, he concentrated on promoting justice and restraining the harmful influence of those who advanced their own interests at the expense of the weak. In 1532, not wishing to support Henry VIII's intention to take control of the Church in England, he resigned. He withdrew from public life, resigning himself to suffering poverty with his family and being deserted by many people who, in the moment of trial, proved to be false friends.
Given his inflexible firmness in rejecting any compromise with his own conscience, in 1534 the King had him imprisoned in the Tower of London, where he was subjected to various kinds of psychological pressure. Thomas More did not allow himself to waver, and he refused to take the oath requested of him, since this would have involved accepting a political and ecclesiastical arrangement that prepared the way for uncontrolled despotism. At his trial, he made an impassioned defence of his own convictions on the indissolubility of marriage, the respect due to the juridical patrimony of Christian civilization, and the freedom of the Church in her relations with the State. Condemned by the Court, he was beheaded.
With the passing of the centuries discrimination against the Church diminished. In 1850 the English Catholic Hierarchy was re-established. This made it possible to initiate the causes of many martyrs. Thomas More, together with 53 other martyrs, including Bishop John Fisher, was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886. And with John Fisher, he was canonized by Pius XI in 1935, on the fourth centenary of his martyrdom.
4. There are many reasons for proclaiming Thomas More Patron of statesmen and people in public life. Among these is the need felt by the world of politics and public administration for credible role models able to indicate the path of truth at a time in history when difficult challenges and crucial responsibilities are increasing. Today in fact strongly innovative economic forces are reshaping social structures; on the other hand, scientific achievements in the area of biotechnology underline the need to defend human life at all its different stages, while the promises of a new society successfully presented to a bewildered public opinion urgently demand clear political decisions in favour of the family, young people, the elderly and the marginalized.
In this context, it is helpful to turn to the example of Saint Thomas More, who distinguished himself by his constant fidelity to legitimate authority and institutions precisely in his intention to serve not power but the supreme ideal of justice. His life teaches us that government is above all an exercise of virtue. Unwavering in this rigorous moral stance, this English statesman placed his own public activity at the service of the person, especially if that person was weak or poor; he dealt with social controversies with a superb sense of fairness; he was vigorously committed to favouring and defending the family; he supported the all-round education of the young. His profound detachment from honours and wealth, his serene and joyful humility, his balanced knowledge of human nature and of the vanity of success, his certainty of judgement rooted in faith: these all gave him that confident inner strength that sustained him in adversity and in the face of death. His sanctity shone forth in his martyrdom, but it had been prepared by an entire life of work devoted to God and neighbour.
Referring to similar examples of perfect harmony between faith and action, in my Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici I wrote: "The unity of life of the lay faithful is of the greatest importance: indeed they must be sanctified in everyday professional and social life. Therefore, to respond to their vocation, the lay faithful must see their daily activities as an occasion to join themselves to God, fulfil his will, serve other people and lead them to communion with God in Christ" (No. 17).
This harmony between the natural and the supernatural is perhaps the element which more than any other defines the personality of this great English statesman: he lived his intense public life with a simple humility marked by good humour, even at the moment of his execution.
This was the height to which he was led by his passion for the truth. What enlightened his conscience was the sense that man cannot be sundered from God, nor politics from morality. As I have already had occasion to say, "man is created by God, and therefore human rights have their origin in God, are based upon the design of creation and form part of the plan of redemption. One might even dare to say that the rights of man are also the rights of God" (Speech, 7 April 1998).
And it was precisely in defence of the rights of conscience that the example of Thomas More shone brightly. It can be said that he demonstrated in a singular way the value of a moral conscience which is "the witness of God himself, whose voice and judgment penetrate the depths of man's soul" (Encyclical Letter Veritatis Splendor, 58), even if, in his actions against heretics, he reflected the limits of the culture of his time.
In the Constitution Gaudium et Spes, the Second Vatican Council notes how in the world today there is "a growing awareness of the matchless dignity of the human person, who is superior to all else and whose rights and duties are universal and inviolable" (No. 26). The life of Saint Thomas More clearly illustrates a fundamental truth of political ethics. The defence of the Church's freedom from unwarranted interference by the State is at the same time a defence, in the name of the primacy of conscience, of the individual's freedom vis-à-vis political power. Here we find the basic principle of every civil order consonant with human nature.
5. I am confident therefore that the proclamation of the outstanding figure of Saint Thomas More as Patron of Statesmen and Politicians will redound to the good of society. It is likewise a gesture fully in keeping with the spirit of the Great Jubilee which carries us into the Third Christian Millennium.
Therefore, after due consideration and willingly acceding to the petitions addressed to me, I establish and declare Saint Thomas More the heavenly Patron of Statesmen and Politicians, and I decree that he be ascribed all the liturgical honours and privileges which, according to law, belong to the Patrons of categories of people.
Blessed and glorified be Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of man, yesterday, today and for ever.
Given at Saint Peter's, on the thirty-first day of October in the year 2000, the twenty-third of my Pontificate.
Thomas More for Our Season
Saint Thomas More, Patron of Lawyers and Jurists, Martyr
Dads: Men for All Seasons
( St.) THOMAS MORE AS STATESMAN: A BRIEF SKETCH
St. Thomas More: A Man for This Season
Life of Thomas More
St Thomas More
St. Thomas More and Modern Martyrdom
St. Thomas More Bearing Witness Long After His Death
Saint Thomas More,Martyr, Chancellor of England 1535
Feast Day: June 22
Born: 354 AD, Bordeaux, France
Died: June 22, 431, Nola, near Naples, Campagna, Italy
Feast Day: June 22
Born: 1469, Beverley, Yorkshire, England
Died: 22 June 1535, Tower Hill, London, England
Canonized: 19 May 1935, Rome by Pope Pius XI
Feast Day: June 22
Born: 1478 at London, England
Died: 6 July 1535, London, England
Canonized: 1935, Rome by Pope Pius XI
Patron of: Adopted children,civil servants, court clerks, difficult marriages, large families, lawyers, politicians and statesmen, stepparents, widowers
St. Paulinus of Nola
Feast Day: June 22
St. Paulinus was born in Bordeaux, France. His father was a governor and a wealthy landowner. Paulinus received a good education and became a famous lawyer and poet. He traveled in France, Spain and Italy, wherever work or pleasure took him. In 381, at the age of twenty-eight, he became the governor of Campania, Italy.
When he was thirty-six, Paulinus and his Spanish wife, Theresia were baptized and became Catholics. They had one child, a son who died when he was just a few weeks old. The couple then decided to devote their lives to God and gave away their wealth and property to the poor. They kept only what they needed to live on.
Paulinus and Theresia agreed that they wanted to live simply and decided not to live as a married couple any more. They prayed, made sacrifices and lived holy lives to show their love for Jesus. Paulinus and his wife were greatly admired by the Christian community.
They were very pleased when Paulinus became a priest in 394. Then he and Theresia started a small community of monks in Nola, Italy. They decided to remain in Nola near the shire of one of his favorite saints, St. Felix of Nola. There they opened a hospital for poor people and travelers, too.
St. Felix a priest and bishop who had died in 260 had been a great defender of his people during the cruel torture of Christians by Emperor Decius. Bishop Felix had been known for his prayerfulness, his love for the people, and his poor lifestyle.
Almost hundred years later, Paulinus prayed to him and wrote about him. Then in 409, Paulinus was chosen to be bishop of Nola. The people were so happy. He was a wise, gentle bishop, just as St. Felix had been. He was praised by many great saints who lived at that time, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. Martin of Tours and others.
Although some of his wonderful writings have been lost, thirty-two poems and fifty-one letters remain. St. Paulinus was bishop of Nola, living in his own home until his death in 431.
|English: Douay-Rheims
|Latin: Vulgata Clementina
|Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
|John 6
|I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
6:52 If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world.
|Ego sum panis vivus, qui de cælo descendi.
6:52 Si quis manducaverit ex hoc pane, vivet in æternum : et panis quem ego dabo, caro mea est pro mundi vita.
|εγω ειμι ο αρτος ο ζων ο εκ του ουρανου καταβας εαν τις φαγη εκ τουτου του αρτου ζησεται εις τον αιωνα και ο αρτος δε ον εγω δωσω η σαρξ μου εστιν ην εγω δωσω υπερ της του κοσμου ζωης
|6:53 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
|6:53 Litigabant ergo Judæi ad invicem, dicentes : Quomodo potest hic nobis carnem suam dare ad manducandum ?
|εμαχοντο ουν προς αλληλους οι ιουδαιοι λεγοντες πως δυναται ουτος ημιν δουναι την σαρκα φαγειν
|6:54 Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.
|6:54 Dixit ergo eis Jesus : Amen, amen dico vobis : nisi manducaveritis carnem Filii hominis, et biberitis ejus sanguinem, non habebitis vitam in vobis.
|ειπεν ουν αυτοις ο ιησους αμην αμην λεγω υμιν εαν μη φαγητε την σαρκα του υιου του ανθρωπου και πιητε αυτου το αιμα ουκ εχετε ζωην εν εαυτοις
|6:55 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.
|6:55 Qui manducat meam carnem, et bibit meum sanguinem, habet vitam æternam : et ego resuscitabo eum in novissimo die.
|ο τρωγων μου την σαρκα και πινων μου το αιμα εχει ζωην αιωνιον και εγω αναστησω αυτον [εν] τη εσχατη ημερα
|6:56 For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed.
|6:56 Caro enim mea vere est cibus : et sanguis meus, vere est potus ;
|η γαρ σαρξ μου αληθως εστιν βρωσις και το αιμα μου αληθως εστιν ποσις
|6:57 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him.
|6:57 qui manducat meam carnem et bibit meum sanguinem, in me manet, et ego in illo.
|ο τρωγων μου την σαρκα και πινων μου το αιμα εν εμοι μενει καγω εν αυτω
|6:58 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me.
|6:58 Sicut misit me vivens Pater, et ego vivo propter Patrem : et qui manducat me, et ipse vivet propter me.
|καθως απεστειλεν με ο ζων πατηρ καγω ζω δια τον πατερα και ο τρωγων με κακεινος ζησεται δι εμε
|6:59 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead. He that eateth this bread, shall live for ever.
|6:59 Hic est panis qui de cælo descendit. Non sicut manducaverunt patres vestri manna, et mortui sunt. Qui manducat hunc panem, vivet in æternum.
|ουτος εστιν ο αρτος ο εκ του ουρανου καταβας ου καθως εφαγον οι πατερες υμων το μαννα και απεθανον ο τρωγων τουτον τον αρτον ζησεται εις τον αιωνα
We had a display of Eucharistic Miracles today. Stunning display!
Sunday, June 22
Liturgical Color: Green
Today is the optional memorial of St.
Paulinus, bishop. He was a very wealthy
4th century lawyer who converted to the
faith after the death of his infant son. He
and his wife gave their money to the poor, dedicating their lives to helping
Daily Readings for:June 22, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)
Collect: O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament have left us a memorial of your Passion, grant us, we pray, so to revere the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood that we may always experience in ourselves the fruits of your redemption. Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, on God, for ever and ever.
o Customs for the Feast of Corpus Christi
o Eucharist Hymn: Adoro Te Devote - Hidden God
o Eucharist Hymn: Ave Verum Corpus
o Eucharist Hymn: Pange Lingua
o Eucharist Hymn: Sacris Solemniis - At This Our Solemn Feast
o Eucharist Hymn: Tantum Ergo - Down in Adoration Falling
o Eucharist Hymn: Verbum Supernum - The Word of God
o History of Corpus Christi Processions
o Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Easter (1st Plan)
o Litany of the Most Blessed Sacrament
o Chaplet of the Blessed Sacrament
o Novena Honoring the Body and Blood of Christ
o A Prayer to Jesus in the Tabernacle
o Eucharistic Procession on the Feast of Corpus Christi
o The Eucharist: To Be Loved and To Be Lived | Bishop Thomas J. Tobin
o The Sacrament of the Eucharist | Rev. G. D. Smith D.D., Ph.D.
· Ordinary Time: June 22nd
· Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Old Calendar: Second Sunday after Pentecost ; Other Titles: Corpus Christi
"While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, 'Take it; this is my body.' Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, 'This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.'"
Where the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ is not observed as a holy day, it is assigned to the Sunday after Trinity Sunday, which is then considered its proper day in the calendar.
Please see this special section on Corpus Christi.
Today is the Optional Memorial of St. Paulinus of Nola, bishop and confessor; Optional Memorial of Sts. John Fisher, bishop and martyr and Thomas More, martyr which is superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.
Corpus Christi Sunday
Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of Christ) is a Eucharistic solemnity, or better, the solemn commemoration of the institution of that sacrament. It is, moreover, the Church's official act of homage and gratitude to Christ, who by instituting the Holy Eucharist gave to the Church her greatest treasure. Holy Thursday, assuredly, marks the anniversary of the institution, but the commemoration of the Lord's passion that very night suppresses the rejoicing proper to the occasion. Today's observance, therefore, accents the joyous aspect of Holy Thursday.
The Mass and the Office for the feast was edited or composed by St. Thomas Aquinas upon the request of Pope Urban IV in the year 1264. It is unquestionably a classic piece of liturgical work, wholly in accord with the best liturgical traditions. . . It is a perfect work of art.
— Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.
In the words of St. Thomas:
"How inestimable a dignity, beloved brethren, divine bounty has bestowed upon us Christians from the treasury of its infinite goodness! For there neither is nor ever has been a people to whom the gods were so nigh as our Lord and God is nigh unto us.
"Desirous that we be made partakers of His divinity, the only-begotten Son of God has taken to Himself our nature so that having become man, He would be enabled to make men gods. Whatever He assumed of our nature He wrought unto our salvation. For on the altar of the Cross He immolated to the Father His own Body as victim for our reconciliation and shed His blood both for our ransom and for our regeneration. Moreover, in order that a remembrance of so great benefits may always be with us, He has left us His Body as food and His Blood as drink under appearances of bread and wine.
"O banquet most precious! O banquet most admirable! O banquet overflowing with every spiritual delicacy! Can anything be more excellent than this repast, in which not the flesh of goats and heifers, as of old, but Christ the true God is given us for nourishment? What more wondrous than this holy sacrament! In it bread and wine are changed substantially, and under the appearance of a little bread and wine is had Christ Jesus, God and perfect Man. In this sacrament sins are purged away, virtues are increased, the soul is satiated with an abundance of every spiritual gift. No other sacrament is so beneficial. Since it was instituted unto the salvation of all, it is offered by Holy Church for the living and for the dead, that all may share in its treasures.
"My dearly beloved, is it not beyond human power to express the ineffable delicacy of this sacrament in which spiritual sweetness is tasted in its very source, in which is brought to mind the remembrance of that all-excelling charity which Christ showed in His sacred passion? Surely it was to impress more profoundly upon the hearts of the faithful the immensity of this charity that our loving Savior instituted this sacrament at the last supper when, having celebrated the Pasch with His disciples. He was about to leave the world and return to the Father. It was to serve as an unending remembrance of His passion, as the fulfillment of ancient types — this the greatest of His miracles. To those who sorrow over His departure He has given a unique solace."
Symbols: The usual symbol for the Holy Eucharist is a chalice, with a host rising out of it.
The chalice is shown with a hexagonal base, as a rule, symbolizing the Six Attributes of the Deity (power, wisdom, majesty, mercy, justice and love), and with a richly wrought stem of gold, studded with precious stones. The host is shown as the typical circular wafer, upon which may be imprinted the letters I. N. R. I., from which proceed rays of light, symbolical of the Real Presence, the substantial presence of Christ under the species of bread and wine.
An altar, upon which is set a cross, two or more candles in their tall candlesticks, a chalice and a ciborium, is another symbol often seen.
Things to Do:
The fourteenth encyclical letter of Pope John Paul II Ecclesia de Eucharistia (On the Eucharist in Its Relationship to the Church) released on Holy Thursday, April 17, 2003. The focus of the papal encyclical is the celebration of the Eucharist; the Pope reminds us that the Eucharist is the center of Catholic spiritual life.
Redemptionis Sacramentum (On certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist), an Instruction released by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on March 25, 2004.
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)
Be careful not to forget the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:11)
The Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land, and Moses wanted to make sure that they would stay faithful to God once they were established in their new home. So he gathered them together and recounted all that God had done for them during their desert journey.
Moses recalled the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. He reminded them that during their years of wandering the desert, "the clothing did not fall from you in tatters, nor did your feet swell" (Deuteronomy 8:4). And most important, he reminded them how God had fed them every day with manna. If they could just remember God's goodness, the people would be more willing to serve the Lord and put their trust in him.
Fast-forward to the Last Supper, when Jesus first instituted the Eucharist, telling us, "Do this in memory of me" (Luke 22:19). Just as Moses told the Israelites, Jesus now asks us to remember him and his goodness. He wants us to keep in mind all that the Mass represents: his incarnation as a man, his teachings, his mercy, his miracles, and his death and resurrection. He has told us that as we break the bread in memory of him, he will be with us, feeding us with his own divine life and grace.
How blessed we are! The manna sustained the Israelites during their earthly journey, but Jesus' bread of life sustains us for eternal life. The manna came from heaven down to earth, but the bread of life comes from the earth and lifts us up to heaven. The manna reminded the people of the Lord, but the bread of life is the Lord.
So when you receive Communion today, remember who you are receiving and what he did for you—and don't forget it for the rest of the day! Remembering will help you stay focused on your eternal heritage. It will help you obey God's commands. And most important, it will convince you that nothing can separate you from the love of God!
"Jesus, help me to remember your love today and every day."
Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6:51-58
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)
Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion
(Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14-16; Psalm 147:12-15,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6:51-58)
1. The first reading tells us to "remember" what the Lord has done for us and not to "forget" him. And yet it is so easy "forget" his great love for us when we are going through a difficult time. We can often receive the Eucharist in a blank or unfocused manner. How would you describe what Jesus did for you on the Cross? How can you better use your memory of the Lord's great love for you, and what he has done for you through his death and resurrection, in preparing to receive Christ in the Eucharist?
2. We are also told we are to be fed by "every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord". What steps can you take to better incorporate Scripture reading in your day and "remember" them during the day?
3. The responsorial psalm tells of all the wonderful things God has done: he has "strengthened," "blessed," "granted peace," and "proclaimed his word" to us. And "with the best of wheat he fills" us. The word "eucharist" means thanksgiving. What are the things you are thankful to the Lord for?
4. In the second reading from the letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul says that because we all partake of the same loaf, "we, though many, are one body." What do these words mean to you, especially when you consider our "separated brethren" in other denominations or divisions within our family and parish, and among friends, colleagues, and neighbors? What impact do you think praying for those you are "separated" from will have on future reconciliation? Are you willing to create a list of people to pray for who are separated from you? If not, why not?
5. In the Gospel reading, Jesus tells us that "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." What are the little things you can do during the day to make yourself more aware of Jesus' presence in you?
6. The meditation reminds us that when we receive Communion to "remember who you are receiving and what he did for you—and don't forget it for the rest of the day!" It goes on to say that this "Remembering will help you stay focused on your eternal heritage. It will help you obey God's commands. And most important, it will convince you that nothing can separate you from the love of God!" What steps can you take before Mass to increase your own "remembering" of what you are receiving? What steps can you take after Mass?
7. Take some time now to pray that you would experience more deeply what you are receiving in the Eucharist. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.
(A biblical reflection on the Solemnity of THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST Sunday, 22 June 2014)
Gospel Reading: John 6:51-58
First Reading: Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14-16; Psalms: Psalm 147:12-15,19-20, Second Reading: 1Corinthians 10:16-17
The Scripture Text
I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, How can this man give us His flesh to eat? So Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you; he who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever. (John 6:51-58 RSV)
One of the most pleasant and natural reasons for families and friends to gather together is to share a meal. This has been a universal custom since the beginning of history.
The ancient Hebrews, with their profound familial and religious practices, found many occasions to assemble around their sacred banquet tables. A very significant meal was the one to celebrate the Passover, which commemorated their deliverance from slavery.
Jesus and His apostles, faithful to their Jewish heritage, also observed the Passover each year. It was in conjunction with the Passover festival that Jesus initiated another sacred meal, the Last Supper. Do this in memory of me are solemn words which Christians have always observed, honoring and fulfilling the command of the Savior, given the night before He died. When we assemble at Mass, we celebrate and perpetuate this directive of Jesus, spoken at the original Holy Thursday meal.
The feast of Corpus Christi, observed today, calls our attention to the dignity of the Last Supper and the precious heritage of the Lords presence in our midst when we gather in faith around His table. It is the body of the risen Lord which we receive, and we are humbly reminded of His eternal love for each of us. His power, wisdom and friendship come to us in the reception of the Bread of Life.
The Holy Eucharist helps the faithful to remember the good times of the past, but is much more than that. It is the real presence of the Risen Lord abiding with His people in His glorified body. Its His unique way to be with us always.
1. Corpus Christi evokes memories from the Upper Room, the multiplication of the loaves, the manna in the desert and more. Its a memorial of the past.
2. Corpus Christi speaks to the present. Jesus said, I am the living bread. That is, right now, today. Through my reception of the Living Bread, I am being strengthened this very moment.
3. Corpus Christi carries a future promise, an everlasting pledge: Anyone who eats this bread will live forever.
Short Prayer: Lord Jesus, I give my life to You by receiving Your precious body and blood in the depths of my heart. I give You the freedom to have Your way in every area of my life. Thank You for loving me and wanting to live within me. Amen.
Daily Marriage Tip for June 22, 2014:
The one who feeds on me will have life because of me. (Jn 6:57) Today on Corpus Christi, give thanks together for the Bread of Life Jesus offers us at every Mass. It is truly food for the journey.
June 22, 2014
Click here for USCCB readings
Opening Prayer
First Reading: Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14b-16a
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17Gospel Reading: John 6:51-58
Catechism of the Catholic Church: §§ 787, 2837, 1322-1419
God in his omnipotence could not give more, in His wisdom He knew not how to give more, in His riches He had not more to give, than the Eucharist. -St. Augustine
Day 189 - Why do we yearn for happiness? // Does Sacred Scripture speak about a way to happiness?
Why do we yearn for happiness?
God has placed in our hearts such an infinite desire for happiness that nothing can satisfy it but God himself. All earthly fulfillment gives us only a foretaste of eternal happiness. Above and beyond that, we should be drawn to God.
Does Sacred Scripture speak about a way to happiness?
We become happy by trusting in Jesus' words in the Beatitudes. The Gospel is a promise of happiness to all people who wish to walk in God's ways. Especially in the Beatitudes (Mt 5:3-12), Jesus has told us specifically that eternal blessedness (blessing) is based on our following his example and seeking peace with a pure heart. (YOUCAT questions 281, 282)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (1716-1719) and other references here.
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