Sunday Jun2 14, 2009

Date: Sunday June 14, 2009, The Body and Blood of Christ
Readings: Exodus 24: 3-8 Psalm 116: 12-13, 15-18
Hebrews 9: 11-15 Mark 14: 12-16,22-26

The core of Catholic Worship is the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the re-presentation of the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross in an unbloody manner. It also culminates in a meal whereby we receive the Body and Blood of the Risen Christ, truly present in the form of bread and Wine.
The first reading is the acceptance of the Israelites of the Law and the Covenant with God. After Moses read the Covenant and wrote it down for all to read, they all agreed to accept the terms in exchange for being deemed, by all nations, as God's own people. This set a tradition for the leader of the community to lay before the people of God His pledge to take care of them if they live up to their end of the bargain.
In our time and in the early church, the Apostles and their successors, through their actions and universal councils, brought to the attention of the members of the New Covenant, the terms which Christ enjoined on them and through them, on us. There's no guesswork involved. His Church decides and like Moses lays the Covenant before us. We don't have to accept it, however, not to accept puts us at peril.
The Covenant is a Covenant of Love which calls for all Christians to love God, as he loves us and all His people, wherever they may be.
When we approach the altar of God and receive Him in the Blessed Sacrament, we say AMEN as the response to the presentation of the Sacred Host by the minister, signifying our belief in the real Presence and our oneness with Christ and the Community.
By receiving Him worthily, we become one with Him and heirs to His Kingdom, now and forever.