Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Cycle C, Year I)

Community Word:The indwelling of the Holy Spirit transforms our lives.

Theme: Our lives are transformed when we partake of the Eucharist and share Christ with one another

Promise: “They ate and were satisfied.” (Lk 9:17a)

Reflection:
There was a crowd deprived of many things in life. They were hungry; they were sick. But Jesus, moved with pity, was ready to provide them with all they needed. The apostles on the other hand was bothered by them and they wanted to send them away to fend for themselves. To this Jesus told them, “You give them some food yourselves,” (Lk 9:13). There was nothing to feed them, except for five loaves and two fish. Jesus then blessed this meager offering and the miracle happened. It was not only sufficient, but after thousands had eaten their fill, there were still leftovers that filled twelve baskets.

When God gives, He gives abundantly. He knows our needs and gives us more than what we need so that we may have something to share with others, especially to the poor and the needy. In community, we are encouraged to share our time, talent and treasure so that we may be able to fulfill our mission work. But, how are we behaving with regards to sharing? How often do we have to make excuses, like – ‘I don’t even earn enough to feed my family, how can I be expected to give?’ ‘I am busy with work, how can I offer my services in community?’ ‘Being a leader is burdensome, it is just taking a lot of my time and energy!’ Are we like the apostles who did not care about the welfare of others?

In the story of the multiplication of the loaves, it is said that the miracle happened because everyone started to share the little of what they had. Our financial resources, talents and even our holiness are clearly inadequate to meet the needs of our district. But the word of God tells us to offer our very selves, our resources, our time and talent in promoting God’s kingdom, and then Jesus, our Lord, will take care in multiplying them. Many times in our LSS and Encounter Programs we are anxious about meeting all the provisions needed, only to find out later that everything was covered and in some instances, there were unexpected surplus. Actually, the only requirement that God asks us is to share whatever we have with love and put our complete trust in His generosity and provisions. Indeed, all undertakings in the district communities will be carried through with success if each member of the community unselfishly offer their part and share their blessings for the greater glory of God. For sure, we will always witness a miracle of multiplication and transformation.

This is also the miracle story of the Holy Eucharist. In the Eucharist, we bring the ordinary work of our hands, bread and wine, and join this offering with our very ordinary lives. In the invocation of the Spirit and Word of God by the priest, bread and wine are transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Christ, the Bread of Life and Cup of Salvation. We offer to God the works of our hands and our broken humanity and He transforms them into perfect humanity and life, giving us the Divine.

Receiving the Eucharist means letting oneself be transformed by what is received. Pope Francis has emphasized this – “Every time we take Communion, we resemble Jesus more, increasingly being transformed in Jesus and stripping away ones selfishness by uniting oneself closer with Christ.”Just as the bread and wine are turned into the real Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, so too are we who received the gift; our lives are transformed as we partake the Eucharist and be able to share Christ with one another. As Jesus feeds us with His own flesh and blood, we are empowered and are assured of this promise – “They ate and were satisfied,” (Lk 9:17a).

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation. You nourish and sustain us with Your very own presence and life. May we always hunger for You and be satisfied in You alone. Amen

Reflection Guide Questions:
1.Does your participation in the celebration of the Eucharist transform you into a person of gratitude, kindness, justice and charity?

2.In what way does the Eucharist symbolize the life you are living? Is the Eucharist giving direction to your life?

June 23, 2019 (Sun) – Gn 14:18-20/Ps 110:1,2,3,4/1Cor 11:23-26/Lk 9:11-17
June 24, 2019 (Mon)- Is 49:1-6/Ps 139:1-3,13-15/Acts 13:22-26/Lk 1:57-66,80
June 25, 2019 (Tue)-Gn 13:2,5-18/Ps 2-5/Mt 7:6,12-14
June 26, 2019 (Wed)- Gn 15:1-12,17-18/Ps 105:1-9/Mt 7:15-20
June 27, 2019 (Thu)- Gn 16:1-12,15-16/Ps 106:1-5/Mt 7:21-29
June 28, 2019 (Fri)- Ez 34:11-16/Ps 23:1-6/Rom 5:5-11/Lk 15:3-7
June 29, 2019 (Sat) – Acts 12:1-11/Ps 34:2-9/2Tm 4:6-8,17-18/Mt 16:13-19

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”