The Catechism tells us that the Eucharist is the “source and summit” of the Christian life (CCC, 1324). All of the other sacraments point toward the reality of what the Eucharist really is: the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord. What a tremendous and humbling gift to receive the Creator into our hearts and souls. Today we will delve into the Scriptures surrounding this great mystery.

Click to access video  
(Need access to FORMED? Go here to register > AnnunciationChurch.FORMED.org)

---

---

First Reading Reflection
Exodus 24:3−8

This scene from Exodus takes place after the Israelites who fled Egypt have arrived at Mt. Sinai. Shortly after they arrived, God presented an initial invitation through Moses to the elders of the people. Now the Lord has presented the terms of the covenant to Moses as mediator, with the other leaders nearby (see Exodus 24:1). At last Moses presents the covenant with its terms—the Law—to the people. It is something like a formal, royal proposal of marriage.  e people give their unanimous consent.

Moses then continues with the process of ratifying the covenant. He writes it all down and then prepares the celebration. It begins with burnt offerings, symbolic of complete commitment and union. Then half the blood from the sacrifices is sprinkled upon the Lord’s altar and the covenant is read aloud again. This is analogous to the pronouncement of marriage vows—The Law is important, but only because it outlines the way that the members of the family of God should act. The people pronounce their formal consent and the other half of the blood is sprinkled on them. The shared blood suggests the new shared life. On the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, Mother Church invites us to recall the centrality of the Mass, our new covenant celebration where what was foreshadowed by the Old Covenant ceremony takes place in fact.

 

Second Reading Reflection
Hebrews 9:11−15

In the Letter to the Hebrews, the author exhorts the hearers to stay strong in faith. Interestingly, the letter centers around the priesthood of Christ, who is shown as the prime example and indeed the author of faithfulness.

The letter is also a beautiful example of typology, where the events and persons of the Old Testament are shown to be ful lled in the life of Christ and his Church.  rough this method of interpretation, Jesus is shown to possess a unique, unending priesthood. He is, moreover, the priest of the New Covenant, which brings about for the people a more perfect union with God (see Hebrews 8:6. Just as the High Priest of the Mosaic Law would enter into the Holy of Holies once a year to o er a sin o ering of blood, so Christ, through his Death and Resurrection, entered once for all into the presence of God, restoring sinful humanity to grace.

This chapter of Hebrews speci cally recalls the events recounted in the First Reading from Exodus. It explains that the action of Moses with the blood was an act of puri cation, but only externally. The Blood of Christ, however, e ects a real spiritual transformation. We can take comfort in such a high priest, who has both human sympathy and divine power to forgive sin.

 

Gospel Reading Reflection
Mark 14:12−16, 22−26

Mark’s account of the Last Supper is interwoven with references to the Passover. The chapter opens with the leaders of the Jews in Jerusalem planning to put Jesus to death. The time is two days before Passover, when devout Jews were likely selecting the sacri cial lamb for the Passover meal.

The feast of Unleavened Bread, which coincides with the feast of Passover, arrives.

The account of the meal itself is brief, but telling.  ere is no mention of the Passover lamb, highlighting that Jesus himself is the sacri cial o ering. And the meal is not concluded in the traditional way with a  nal cup of wine. Instead, a new covenant has been established with the Blood of the Christ (ful lling the covenant we read about in the first reading). But the new Passover feast is not  nished, for after giving the cup of his Blood, Jesus says he not going to drink anymore until he drinks anew in the Kingdom of God. then they sing a hymn and set out to Garden of Gethsemane. the sacrificial celebration continues to Calvary, uniting both symbol and reality.

 

---

---

 

DIGGING DEEPER:
Eucharistic Miracles

It can be hard for us to comprehend that Jesus Christ is present, Body, Blood, soul, and divinity in a small piece of bread. This surpasses our human understanding. However, there have been several reported miracles where the Eucharist has transformed into fl esh or blood, revealing the truth of this sacrament. One of the most famous of these miracles was in the 700s in Lanciano, Italy. A monk was doubting the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as he consecrated the host in Mass. In his hands and before his eyes, the precious host turned into fl esh and blood. Jesus was indeed present. We don’t all get to experience a Eucharistic miracle in this way, but ask Jesus to open the eyes of your heart the next time you are at Mass to see him there, fully present, on the altar.

 

PRAYER:

Jesus knows that we hunger and thirst for more in this life. What do you  nd yourself hungry for? At the root of all of our longings is a thirst for God. Only in Christ will our hunger be satis ed and our thirst quenched. Jesus o ers himself to us today so that we may experience this satisfaction and incredible intimacy with him.

Spend a few minutes allowing the miracle that takes place each Sunday to resonate in your heart and mind. Jesus Christ makes himself food to nourish you and become one with you. How do you respond to his desire to be close to you? Are you grateful or indi erent? How does Jesus want you to receive him?

 

RESOLUTION: 

What longing or restlessness in your life does Jesus want to satisfy with himself? Look to Jesus this week to  ll your search for something more. Make time to go to daily Mass one day and pray for the grace to be  lled with Jesus.

 

---

---

Reprinted from  Opening the Word at Formed.org .
Click here (subscribe for FREE, enter code: KK788T)  to get the full content of Opening the Word, including video reflections, study guides and journals for the Sunday Mass readings of the year.

FORMED Fellowship + Lunch 
(Sunday @ 12:00 noon in the Hall)