Corpus Christi A Gospel
Corpus Christi A Resp Psalm
Corpus Christi A reading 1
Corpus Christi A reading 2
Reflection – Corpus Christi both readings
Sunday Reflection – Body & Blood of Christ (06/18/17):
(DT 8:2-3, 14B-16A / PS 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20 / 1 COR 10:16-17 / JN 6:51-58)
The first reading for today’s liturgy is from the eighth chapter of Deuteronomy, which concerns Moses reminding the people of all they have endured in their forty years of wandering in the desert, and most importantly, why that should be remembered by, and remain significant for them. Moses reminded them (as if they needed a reminder) that the LORD, their God, had directed them through forty years of wandering, all the while testing them by affliction to determine whether or not they would keep the LORD’s commandments. One of the afflictions was hunger. After a period of time, God satisfied that hunger with manna, a food unknown to them, to show that they lived not by bread alone, but by bread and “every word that came forth from the mouth of the Lord.” They were there though because they had been rescued from slavery. That is why they ended up in the vast and terrible desert, the place of serpents and scorpions, of parched and waterless ground. We relish our free wills, granted to each and everyone of us as part of our humanity. We often tend to forget though, that with said freedom comes testing, duty and responsibility. How many times during one of life’s testings do we forget to remind ourselves that we either brought the condition on ourselves, or that it is simply part and parcel of our freedom to accept or reject the Lord?
The Gospel reading is from John’s “Bread of Life Discourse” in chapter six. It begins: “Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: ‘I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.'” In those thirty-three words, Jesus makes three outrageous, unbelievable and inconceivable statements. He began with “I am…” which is the sacred name of Yhwh/God given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. No devout Jew ever even pronounced that sacred name, let alone used it in such a way as to imply that it should be applied to one’s self. He then said that he was “the living bread” that came down from heaven, thus making himself equal to the miraculous saving and nourishing manna that had been provided to the Israelites in the desert. And finally, he indicated that his very own flesh was to be eaten by them if they wanted to live forever. And if that weren’t enough, he then reiterated several times, after uttering a mild oath to emphasize the importance of the statement, that: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” Now remember, these folks don’t know all of the story like we do. He simply said they were to eat his flesh and drink blood, both of which were radically condemned in Judaism. His teaching was radical to the ancients. It is no less so for us. We are truly eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Buit if we do so with respect and gratitude, we are granted eternal life. What a challenge. What a promise. What a gift.
-Mike Glotzb