SCRIPTURE FOR EVERYDAY LIFE
            The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

First Reading: Exodus 24: 3-8
     In today's reading from Exodus, Moses has returned from Mount Sinai and reports God's demands to the people.  They are to observe all of God's commandments and ordinances.  "We will do everything that the Lord has told us," the people answer.  By agreeing to do as the Lord commands, the people have entered into a convenant with Yahweh.  Moses was the intermediary between God and his people.  If the people kept God's commandments, God will guide Moses and his people into the Promised Land of Canaan.
     In preparation for the ritual that would seal the covenant, Moses wrote down God's words (the Ten Commandments), built an altar, sanctified the altar by sprinkling it with blood of a young bull, and proclaimed God's word to the people.  After the people responded to the word, Moses sprinkled them with the blood of the bull (a ritual of word and a ritual of blood.)
     In the ritual of blood, the altar symbolizes the presence of God.  The blood symbolizes life.  The people now have a blood bond with Yahweh.  They were now a new family with an irrevocable link to God.  Today's first reading reminds us of the solemn feast we celebrate today, The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ; gifs which brought the Mosaic covenant to fulfillment.  On this feast day, let us join our ancestors in faith to remain faithful to the covenant and to also recall the great sacrifice that was offered through the Blood of the Lamb so our salvation could be secure.

Second Reading: Hebrews 9:11-15
      During the time that this letter was written to the Christians of the early Church, there was turmoil and pressure being applied to the church members.  The majority of these members were convertd from Judaism.  Some of them were thinking of dropping out and returning to their Jewish beliefs.  This letter was written to encourage them to persevere in their Christian faith despite of persecutions.  To those who were tempted to return to Jewish temple worship, the author of this epistle compares the emptiness of temple worship with the fullness of God's sacrifice.
     The Jewish high priest who enters the temple to sacrifice a goat is only a man, with sins of his own; Christ is the Son of God, both human and divine.  Therefore, Christ is sinless.  The author goes on to point out that the high priest sacrificed sheep and goats; Christ offered himself.  The Jewish high priest had to repeat this ritual every year on the Day of Atonement.  Christ's supreme offering was made once, for all men, for all time.  Also, the high priest was the only one allowed to enter the "Holy of Holies;" but Jesus entered the sanctuary of heaven and now there is no need for further sacrificed offerings. 
     Christ has surpaassed in holiness and saving power all that the Jewish rituals had to offer.  The author of the Hebrews writes, "For if blood and goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes can sanctify those who are defiled, so that their flesh is cleansed, how much more will the blood of Christ...cleanse our consciences from the dead works that worship the living God.  "Only a tremendous lover would make the ultimate sacrifice so that others may live.  Let us thank God for the gift of his Son, since it is through him that we attain the eternal kingdom. 

Gospel: Mark 14:12-16,22-26
     Today we hear Mark's account of the Last Supper.  This reading is very brief; only ten verses.  The first part of this readings describes the arrangements for the Passover meal.  In the second part, we read that Jesus shared a Passover meal with his apostles, which became the foundation of the celebration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. 
     Passover is the Jewish celebration of God's liberation of the Hebrew people from Egypt and the oppressive slavery they experienced under the rule of Pharoah.  During the Passover meal, the Jews were to sprinkle the blood of a sacrificed lamb upon the door of their home, then eat some lamb and unleavened bread.  During the celebration of this meal with his disciples, Jesus identifies the bread he breaks as his body, and the wine he passes about as his blood.
     By his words and actions, Jesus presented himnself as one who is sacrificing himself.  During his days of ministering to the people, Christ proclaimed: "Greater love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13)."  Christ is about to dewmonstrate his love for us by laying down his life on the cross.  Jesus became the new Passover lamb, shedding his blood for the sins of all mankind.
     Today's feast celebrates the incomparable love Christ has for us.  He offered himself as the victim to be sacrifices for the forgiveness of our sins.  He also left us the gift of Eucharist.  Through the Eucharist, we-as members of the Church, the Body of Christ- are nourished and united in our thanksgiving to God.  In this life, there is no greater source of spiritual nourishment and strength that we could get than the Body and Blood of Christ present in the Holy Eucharist.  May we continue to live a life of gratitude for this tremendous gift, since it enables us to continue forward in this life that is filled with endless challenges.
     As we approach the celebration of our nation's independence, let us also remember those who have shed their blood and given their lives so that we may remain free.  May they rejoice in their eternal reward in the heavenly kingdom that Christ has won for us. 

-Sunday, June 14, 2009