Reading II
Brothers and sisters:
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 body 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.
Gospel
Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God,
and he healed those who needed to be cured.
As the day was drawing to a close,
the Twelve approached him and said,
"Dismiss the crowd
so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms
and find lodging and provisions;
for we are in a deserted place here."
He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves."
They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have,
unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people."
Now the men there numbered about five thousand.
Then he said to his disciples,
"Have them sit down in groups of about fifty."
They did so and made them all sit down.
Then taking the five loaves and the two fish,
and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing over them, broke them,
and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
They all ate and were satisfied.
And when the leftover fragments were picked up,
they filled twelve wicker baskets.
Reflection
On this Solemnity of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also called Corpus Christi, we reflect on the miraculous gift of Jesus’ body given for us, both on the Cross and in the Holy Eucharist.
In our second reading from the letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul describes Jesus’ Institution of the Holy Eucharist, and he concludes with a line that is the basis for the “Mystery of Faith” that we say at every Mass: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.” These words point to the truth that celebrating the Holy Eucharist “in remembrance” of Christ does not just “represent” Jesus’ gift of Himself. It actually “re-presents”His sacrifice of the Last Supper and the Cross. As often as we receive the Holy Eucharist, we enter into Jesus’ dying and rising, proclaiming and participating in it. The whole Christ—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—is contained in one particle of the Sacred Host, even if we do not have the opportunity to drink the Precious Blood as well. At every Mass, we embrace this once-and-for-all gift of His body and life for our sakes, and this sacrifice is our avenue into eternity until Jesus Christ comes again. The Holy Eucharist is our opportunity for ultimate unity with Christ, our bodies one with His, given up that we might have life and have it abundantly.
Our second reading sets us up to read the Gospel with a Eucharistic lens, and we can see several of the beautiful mysteries of the Holy Eucharist reflected in the scene of Jesus feeding the 5,000. Christ’s desire for union with His people is evident from the simple fact that He does not wish to dismiss them to get their own food. He would rather offer up His group’s entire supply so that the crowds might remain with Him. He breaks the bread, blesses it, and gives His people the sustenance they need. Jesus similarly offers Himself entirely for us to consume in Holy Communion. He has given everything, and in every Mass, this infinite gift is made present again, so that we can remain with Him even more intimately than the 5,000.
We also see the abundance of grace that Jesus pours out in the Holy Eucharist when we read today’s Gospel. There were twelve wicker baskets left over after the miracle of the 5,000. Our God does not give sparingly, nor offer only our barest needs. One little Host could fill us to overflowing with love and grace if we only open our hearts to what God wishes to give.
On this Feast, I invite you to ponder the miracle of the Holy Eucharist and the profound opportunity we have to taste Heaven, that is, unity with the infinitely loving Lord, at every Mass. We enter Christ’s defeat of death in the Holy Eucharist, and so glimpse the everlasting life gained for us.
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
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