The Body and Blood of Christ

BEADS OF JOY 06-02-13
“His Most Holy Body and Blood”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

Gospel: (Luke 9:11b-17 / All Ate and Were Satisfied)

“When the crowds learned it, they followed him; and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and cured those who had need of healing. Now the day began to wear away; and the twelve came and said to him, "Send the crowd away, to go into the villages and country round about, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a lonely place." But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish -- unless we are to go and buy food for all these people." For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in companies, about fifty each.” And they did so, and made them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were satisfied. And they took up what was left over, twelve baskets of broken pieces.”

Pray -1 Our Father -10 Hail Mary’s -Glory be… - Oh My Jesus…

Reflection: My Friends,

This miracle is great –in that it is evident in what it represents. Jesus is the Bread of Life in a world that is perishing and seeking fulfillment and the hunger pangs of many continue. His body and His blood must be passed around to one another for all to share, for all to eat. In what Jesus has to offer to us, it is more than sufficient to fulfill all our needs. Jesus is the true bread that came down from Heaven; and only His love can satisfy that hunger. We all have that place inside of us. I can’t describe it, or show it to you on an x-ray; but you do know what I am talking about. Well that place inside us for Him alone, nothing else, nor no one else can ever fulfill that place, many try with worldly things, but in the end, they are still empty.

Can you imagine the enthusiasm of a hungry crowd, when the full baskets of food begun to be passed around? How about the young man who offered up what little he had? Isn’t so amazing how his generosity and kindness to help feed everyone turned into a feast for 5,000.  

“If Christ did not want to dismiss the Jews without food in the desert for fear that they would collapse on the way, it was to teach us that it is dangerous to try to get to heaven without the Bread of Heaven.” ~St. Jerome

“What you see is the bread and the chalice; that is what your own eyes report to you. But what your faith obliges you to accept is that the bread is the Body of Christ and the chalice the Blood of Christ. ... How is the bread His Body? And the chalice, or what is in the chalice, how is it His Blood? Those elements, brethren, are called Sacraments, because in them one thing is seen, but another is understood. What is seen is the corporeal species, but what is understood is the spiritual fruit. ... `You, however, are the Body of Christ and His members.' If, therefore, you are the Body of Christ and His members, your mystery is presented at the table of the Lord, you receive your mystery. To that which you are, you answer: `Amen'; and by answering, you subscribe to it. For you hear: `The Body of Christ!' and you answer: `Amen!' Be a member of Christ's Body, so that your `Amen' may be the truth.” ~St. Augustine, Sermons [272] A.D. 391-430

Pondering these thoughts today: The feeding of the 5,000, a most incredible reading to share, and using it as an example, to explain The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Look at it this way; in this miracle Jesus feed thousands with an abundance that not only fed 5,000 but also the women and the children and then also we can’t forget the left over baskets. At Mass, just like at the Last Supper, bread is broken and wine is poured; and just like here in this miracle Jesus lifted the bread and fish and offered them. At the Last Supper (Matthew 26:28) Jesus described the purpose of His sacrifice, “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” This meal was almost like a pre-sharing of what would happen after His death. Do you hunger for Jesus? Do you go to Mass often to be with Him? Do you prioritize your life around The Body and Blood of our Lord? So much to think about, so much to consider.

 

Your brother in Christ Jesus
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS

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