Sunday Says – June 7, 2015 Mass Readings and Reflection

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

Lectionary: 168 (NAB Translation) (Jerusalem Bible Translation)

This is the great Corpus Christi Sunday where we take a Sunday to focus on the gift of the Eucharist.

Reading 1
Exodus 24:3-8

This week’s first reading from Exodus takes us back to Moses in their journey across the desert. We see an early prefiguration of the Mass and hear about the Hebrews worshiped the Lord. We see that blood was an integral part of the sacrifices offered to God. The also took the time to hear about the word of the Lord through the covenant and the beauty of His promise.

His covenant was so serious, it was sealed in blood.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16, 17-18

 

Reading 2
Hebrews 9:11-15

This week’s second reading we hear a bold proclamation of the sacrifice of Christ. We hear of the ultimate sacrifice completed only by the blood of the perfect Lamb. There is no need for any other sacrifice offered by any other priest, He is the perfect one that offers Himself to seal the new covenant.

This is the heart of the Eucharist. We are blessed to enter into a mystery that is a profound gift of the sacrificed Lamb. Take it as a seal of the new covenant that is offered to us as a perfect gift and bread of heaven that gives us new life in Him.

Sequence — Lauda Sion

Alleluia John 6:51

1. Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven,

says the Lord; whoever eats this bread will live forever.

 

Gospel
Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

The Gospel from this High Solemnity comes from the account of St. Mark. We hear the story of the institution of the Eucharist. The God of heaven that had felt so distant in the last covenant, has now come down and gave us His own flesh as food for the journey.

While many different Christians take this story to be symbolic, we have inherited the consecration in the Holy Mass from the Apostles that were in the room that night when Jesus instructed and commanded the Eucharist. We know that this great mystery of faith is the source and summit of our faith.

 

Gospel Meditation from Bishop Vásquez

Reflection question

In honor of today’s feast, during Mass try to minimize all distractions during the Eucharistic Prayer and focus on the sacrifice being offered on the altar.