19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle B, Year I)
Community Word: Believing in Jesus, the Bread of Life, nourishes us for eternal life.
Theme: We are nourished for eternal life when we worthily partake of the Holy Eucharist.
Promise: “… whoever eats this bread will live forever.” (Jn 6:51b)
As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” Mt 26:26. This is repeated every time Holy Mass is celebrated, during Consecration and Communion. To truly participate in this Eucharistic Celebration, as Catholic faithful, we believe in the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, and partake of them in Holy Communion worthily.
Sacrament is said to be the font of God’s grace that nurtures our being, our mind, body and spirit. And, the Holy Eucharist is one of two sacraments of the Church that we can receive over and over again. It is the food of our soul that allows us to share the very being of Jesus Christ. Thus, our hearts must be cleansed of any sin, as we receive Him with deep faith and sincere love in a personal and intimate way. If we truly believe that God is present in us by receiving Holy Communion, we must live, think and act in a manner that is pleasing to Him. In Ephesians 4:30-32, St. Paul reminds us, “… do away with all quarreling, rage, anger, insults and every kind of malice: be good and understanding, mutually forgiving one another as God forgave you in Christ.”
The Eucharist is a beautiful reminder that we are all united as one body in and through the Body of Christ, a bond that holds all believers of faith together. The Holy Mass satisfies our need for love, communion and fellowship, knitting us into one community of God. The Eucharist sustains us in our commitment to love God, praise and serve Him all the days of our lives.
Although we are in an environment that is centered on materialism and consumerism, focused on money, comfort and pleasure, God helps us never to forget the more important aspect of our being which is our spiritual life that does not end, even in death. Receiving Holy Communion regularly nurtures us so that we may walk in the path of righteousness to gain our final reward of eternal life in heaven. We will have the grace of true wisdom to make the right choice according to God’s plan for our life that will glorify Him.
Holy Communion is not a mere ritual, but a blessing to be received. It is God’s channel of blessing for our healing that makes us whole in our sinfulness and brokenness. Jesus wants to remind us of how His own body was broken on the cross so that we may be made whole, how His blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sins. So when we partake of the host, we claim that Jesus’s divine life flows into our mortal bodies. When we partake of the wine, we declare that all our sins are forgiven and we are made righteous. With the Body and Blood of Jesus in us, we have the confidence to approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and partake the inheritance of righteousness before God.
“This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me,” (Lk 22:19). In every celebration of the Holy Mass today, we remember how in the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist. In His eternal words, Jesus continues to give Himself to us: “This bread is my body, this wine is my blood. Every time you eat this bread and drink this wine in my name, I will be present with you.” With God’s presence in us comes the realization of His Promise, “… whoever eats this bread will live forever,” (Jn 6:51b). These very words truly nourish us for eternal life.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You and remember all that You have done for me. Thank You for loving and caring for me. Thank You for allowing Your body to be broken so that mine might be whole. As I partake of Your Body and Blood, You become part of my mortal body. By Your grace, I shall be completely strong and healthy in body, mind and spirit, all the days of my life. No sickness shall linger in my body because the same power that raised You from the grave flows through me. Lord, by Your stripes, I am healed. Amen.
Reflection Guide Questions:
- What is your experience every time you receive Holy Communion, being conscious that you are actually receiving Jesus Christ? Share that experience.
- Does receiving of the Holy Eucharist regularly rekindle your prayer life, and make you a better and loving person?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
August 8, 2021 (Sun) – 1Kgs 19:4-8/Ps 34:2-3,4-5,6-7,8-9/Eph 4:30-5:2/Jn 6:41-51
August 9, 2021 (Mon) – Dt 10:12-22/ Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20/ Mt 17:22-27
August 10, 2021 (Tue) – 2 Cor 9:6-10/ Ps 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9/ Jn 12:24-26
August 11, 021 (Wed) – Dt 34:1-12/ Ps 66:1-3, 5, 8, 16-17/ Mt 18:15-20
August 12, 2021 (Thurs) – Jos 3:7-10, 11, 13-17/ Ps 114:1-2, 3-4, 5-6/ Mt 18:21-19:1
August 13, 2021 (Fri) – Jos 24:21-13/ Ps 136:1-3,16-18, 21-22, 24/ Mt 19:3-12
August 14, 2021 (Sat) – Jos 24:14-19/ Ps 16:1-2a, 5, 7-8, 11/ Mt 19:13-15
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
