The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is celebrated typically on June 16th. The Church moved this year to the Sunday after Trinity Sunday. Last week we focused on one God in three persons, Trinity Sunday. This week we focus on the Body and Blood of Christ and how Jesus instituted the Eucharistic celebration at the Last Supper. As Catholics, we believe this Eucharistic celebration will last until we meet Him for the Final Judgement at the end of the ages.
The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian faith. In Greek, eucharistia means thanksgiving and we thank God for allowing us to abide in Him so that He may abide in us until He comes again.
Readings for today are Gen 14:18-20, 1 Cor 11:23-26, Luke 9:11b-17
Listen to the Readings and Father Theo’s homily on how important it is for Catholics to see and believe what Christ said in John Chapter 6.
28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; 54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.”
John 6:28-34, 48-58, Revised Standard Version Catholic edition