THE MOST HOLY BODY OF CHRIST-C

I Reading: Genesis 14:18-20: Melchizedek, king and priest, brought bread and wine.

II Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26: Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming the Lord’s death.

Gospel: Luke 9:11-17: From five loaves and two fish the crowd ate as much as they wanted, and the scraps filled twelve baskets.

Jesus Teaches How to Minister, Lk 9:10-17

The Eucharist is the very centre and heart of our faith, church, parish and the believers of Jesus Christ. The Eucharist also the love God to His Son and the love of Jesus by his death on the cross for all for the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of the whole humanity. Jesus himself instituted the Eucharist  on the Holy Thursday and told his disciples “ this is my body which will be given up for you....and this is my blood, the blood of the new covenant which will be poured out for the forgiveness of many and do this in memory of me.”

In the year 1263, a priest from Prague on his pilgrimage to Rome on the way asking God to strengthen his faith since he was having doubts his vocation. The bread turned into flesh and began to bleed and the drops of blood fell on the corporal. The following year 1264, pope Urban IV instituted the feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus. Today is known as the Corpus Christi.

In 700 A.D. a monk was loosing his vocation, during the consecration, the host turned into flesh and the wine turned into blood.

In 1971 and 1981 a hospital laboratory tested the flesh and blood and discovered that the flesh is myocardium which is heart muscular tissue.

There are many the Eucharistic miracles are taking place around the world to strengthen our faith in Jesus. Because God still loves us through His beloved Son Jesus Christ who is always present with us at all times of joys and sorrows. Let us believe in him and have the eternal life.

God shows his love for people by preparing his gifts well in advance (Heb 7:1-2, Gen 14:17-20; Ps 110:4). Jesus prepared his people wisely and delicately to accept his gift of the Holy Eucharist (Mt 14:13-21; Mk 6:30-44; Lk 9:10-17; 22:19;  Jn 6:1-13). For the Eucharist to yield its fruit, the Christian community must celebrate it united in mutual love (1Cor 11:23-25; 15:23; 11: 18,20; Mt 26:26-28; Mk 14:22-24; Lk 22: 19-20).

Jesus’ gift of himself in the Eucharist is intimately connected with that of his own life on the cross; his love for us shines at its best in both gifts. Jesus urges us to repent of our sins and to put ourselves under his Father’s loving rule, to enter into his kingdom and to worthily and gratefully accept his Body and Blood as the nourishment of the Life in the Spirit within us. Mutual union, and concern for our brothers and sisters in the community, are essential conditions to celebrate the Eucharist in a worthy manner.

Jesus once said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to save” (cp. Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45). So it is with the Lord’s disciple. But how the disciple ministers is of vital concern, for how he ministers determines the eternal fate of people and the success or failure of the Lord’s mission. In this passage Jesus teaches His followers how to minister (Mt 14:15-21; Mk 6:30-44).

1. He demonstrated and taught the need for privacy and rest (v.10)

a. The twelve returned and reported to Jesus

b. Jesus sought privacy with the disciple

2. He allowed the needy to interrupt the much needed privacy and rest (v.11)

3. He met both spiritual and physical needs (v.11)

4. He challenged the disciples to meet the people’s needs (v.12-13)

a. The wrong attitude: Let the people take care of themselves

b. The right attitude: let the disciples meet the people’s needs

c. The problem: Inadequate resources

5. He approached needs in an orderly fashion (v.14-15)

6. He looked to God in meeting needs (v.16-17)

a. He thanked God for what he had

b. He broke and gave what he had

c. He utilized all for future ministering and feeding

Thought: The task is enormous. It can be met only by an orderly, organized approach. The lesson is clear for every believer. Once we do our part, God will multiply our resources. There will always be enough to feed all-if we will only confess our inadequate resources, give thanks for what we have, and then give what we have. (Mt 6:33; Mal 3:10; Ps 24:1; 41:1; 50:10; Prov 11:25, 22:9, 28:27; Eccl 11:1; Is 32:8, 58:10; Hag 2:8).

www.believeinthegoodnews.blogspot.com