A WORD FOR TODAY 23 JUNE 2019

A WORD FOR TODAY

Today we celebrate the solemnity of the most holy body and blood of Christ.(Corpus Christi) This is one of the most important feast we have in the Church. This feast of the Most Holy Eucharist was instituted by Christ on the night before His betrayal, passion, crucifixion and death. He mandated His apostles to continue to do it in His memory.

In the first reading we see how Melchizedek the king of Salem and a priest of God Most high brought out bread and wine and offered sacrifice for the people. He was a prefigure of Christ and of priests of the new covenant. He blessed Abraham and he offered to God through him his offering of thanksgiving.

The institution of the Holy Eucharist presupposes the institution of the priesthood, because Christ chose His priests to continue to do the work of confecting the Eucharist until He returns.

The generousity and compassion of Christ is also made manifest by the gift of His body and blood which He has given us as food for life. He was about to be killed, but He did not hold anything back, but gave us the food for the journey to eternity as recorded in the second reading of today. For whoever eats His body and drinks His blood worthily will have eternal life.

We must aim to be generous and charitable as Jesus did in the gospel reading by feeding the five thousand. He gave them food to eat so that they will have strength to continue on their journey. We must be ready to share with others for we cannot celebrate this sacrament and participate worthily in it without sharing our goods with the poor and needy around us.

The Eucharist binds us together as a family of the people of God and we become members of the body of Christ United in love. Therefore, if we truly know who and what we receive, we must work for unity and not promote works of disunity and dissension.

Jesus instituted the sacrament of His body and blood so as to be present to us in that form. It is also for us to worship and adore Him and take Him out in procession. This will enable us pray to Him and ask Him for favours. He remained with us as food that will nourish our soul until we come to meet Him in heaven.

Our task should be to always value the gift of the Eucharist which Christ has given to us and to strive to always be worthy as we approach the table of sacrifice, so that He will dwell in us and through us He will continue to bless His children all over the world.

Before we go to receive the Holy communion, we must examine our conscience, go to confession if we have sinned and reconcile with God and our neighbour. We must prepare spiritually through prayers and physically through cleanliness and participate actively in the mass. At the end of the the mass after receiving Jesus, we must take Him everywhere we go and share His love with others in thanksgiving.

Good morning dearest one. Smile😊 as you begin your day and do have a blessed Sunday. May the Holy Eucharist you receive continue to nourish your soul and bring you miracles of healing, transformation, holiness and peace. 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: As often as you eat this bread and drink this chalice, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

You cannot receive the body and blood of Jesus and still be quarreling and fighting. Show more love because Jesus who is in you is Love personified.