Preparing for Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus

This Sunday we arrive at the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. We honor the Body of Jesus, given for our salvation and the Blood of Christ, poured out for us. Jesus is the nourishment we need on our journey to eternal life.

As I prepare for the upcoming liturgy I reviewed my notebook from my diaconal formation on the Eucharist. Here I have found some rich reminders of the truth of the Eucharist.

In Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, from Vatican II says it all: The Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life. All other sacraments, all ministries, all apostolates, all activities are bound up in the Eucharist.

The Gospel for this feast day is Mark 14:12-16, 22-26. Here we read of the celebration of Passover by Jesus and the Apostles. We know this event as the Last Supper.

“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 the blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.’”

The Last Supper indeed is a Passover Meal. Compare the events to those found in Exodus 12:

A lamb without blemish = Jesus the Lamb of God
Jewish Passover = Last Supper on Passover
Passover table ritual = followed at Last Supper
Unleavened bread to quickly flee Egypt = unleavened bread at Last Supper
Passover at night = Last Supper at night
Passover table reclined to eat = so too at Last Supper
Washing ritual = Jesus washed the feet of the disciples
Breaking of bread in middle of meal = Jesus breaks bread in middle of meal, after the blessing
Passover required wine = Wine at Last Supper
Passover required interpreting some of the foods = Jesus reinterprets the Passover meal

Now we can explore the meal from Passover to Eucharist.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 “For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and after he had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is my that 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 death of the Lord until he comes.”

If we continue with verse 27-34 we see about worthy reception of the Eucharist. St. Paul even warns of eating and drinking judgment on self and illness from unworthy reception. How can this be if it is only a symbol?

The Gospel of Luke, chapter 22:14-20 parallels 1 Corinthians above.

Mark 14:24 quoted above parallels Matthew 26:27-28.

And we have the entire chapter 6 of John’s Gospel, including the Bread of Life discourse which I will explore in a future post.

For now I’ll close with words from a Eucharistic hymn so often used at communion:

I received the living God and my heart is full of joy!