A WORD FOR TODAY 19 JUNE, 2022

*A WORD FOR TODAY*

*THE HOLY EUCHARIST IS OUR SPIRITUAL FOOD*

_"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.”(1 Corinthians 11:24-25)._

_*Today the univeral Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. (Corpus Christi). It is a day set aside to reflect on the gift that Christ gave to us in the Holy Eucharist before He returned to resume His place at the right hand of the Father in heaven after His mission of redemption on earth.*_

_The Holy Eucharist is the Sacrament of the true body and blood of Jesus Christ, together with his Soul and divinity, under the appearances of bread and wine. This sacrament completes the Christian initiation of those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by confirmation. *(Catechism of the Catholic Church No. 1322)*_

_*In the second readig of today, St. Paul recounts what happened at the last supper when Jesus instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his body and blood. He took the bread (physical), gave thanks to God, broke it and offered it to his disciples. He did the same with the wine in the chalice and He instructed them to continue to do it in his remembrance.(Here also He instituted the Holy priesthood ) He simply did this to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again.(CCC No. 1323)*_

_The Holy Eucharist means an action of thanksgiving to God and it is the source and summit of the Christian life and all the other sacraments are bound up and are oriented towards it. *(CCC Nos. 1328/1324)*_

_*We see in the first reading of today how Melchizedek,(King of righteousness, king of Salem), a priest of God most high (Hebrew 7:1-2). He was a prefigurement of Christ and of priests of the new covenant who offer up bread and wine at the altar. He was a generous man. He shared his bread and wine with Abraham and the poor of Salem, he blessed Abraham and he offered him his tithe. When you partake of the holy Eucharist, you will definitely be generous in your attitude, you will share what you have with others, just as Christ shared His body and blood with us.*_

_The Holy Eucharist is the Sacrament of Christian unity. By participating worthily in the reception of the Holy Communion, we unite ourselves to Christ who makes us sharers in His body and blood to form a single body.*(CCC no. 1331).* This means that as we share in the one bread and one cup at the altar, we must remove everything that brings division among us because it is scandalous. *The Eucharist is the real presence of the body and blood of Christ and it is a spiritual food that makes for communion and not discord.*_

_In the gospel reading we see how Jesus out of the compassion of his heart, provided for the crowd. He *took* the five loaves and two fish provided by the disciples, he *blessed and broke it*, and *gave it* to them to share. They all ate and were satisfied. This is what happened at the last supper._

_*Today we are reminded to be like Christ whom we receive His body and blood. You must strive everyday to be in a state of grace to be able to participate worthily in the sacrifice of the mass where the Eucharist is confected by the power of the Holy Spirit through the action of the priest acting *in persona Christi*(in the person of Christ) and who also becomes *alter Christus*(Another Christ)_

_*Just like the crowd gathered around Jesus, we gather around the table of sacrifice (the altar). Jesus feeds us with His body and blood and nourishes our soul with it and He mandates us to go out and do the same in the world. We must bring Christ to others and transform their lives. This is our miracle, this is our faith and we must share it without shame. Therefore, rise up from your sins, acknowledge your failings, confess your sins to a priest, receive forgiveness from God, participate actively in the mass and receive Holy Communion worthily and you will be the light the world needs to come out of her darkness.*_

_Good morning dearest one. Smile😊as you begin your day and do have a beautiful Sunday. May the Holy Eucharist you receive nourish your soul and give you the strength to conquer sin and temptations. Amen. *And may the Almighty God bless you: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.*_

*Meditation:* Genesis 14:18-20/Psalm 110:1-4/ 1 Corinthians 11:23-26/Luke 9:11-17

*Watch-Word:* I am the living bread which came down from heaven, says the Lord.

*If we eat the body of Christ and drink His blood worthily we shall have eternal life.*

(The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. Corpus Christi. Cycle C)

*© Rev. Fr. Augustine Eleke*