Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood Of Christ

Here are the readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ,
June 10, 2012:

Exodus 24: 3-8

Psalm 116: 12-13, 15-18

Hebrews 9: 11-15

Mark 14: 12-16, 22-26

You might have head this feast referred to by its Latin name, Corpus Christi (Body of Christ) and wondered why the Catholic Church is celebrating a Texas town.  The feast came first.

Or you might have read today's scriptures and wondered about all this preoccupation with blood, and felt glad not to have been in Moses' assembly, getting blood sprinkled on you!

For people of that time and culture, blood represented life. (It still does- so if you are eligible, please look for opportunities to donate blood!) So by the grand gesture of pouring blood on the altar and sprinkling blood on the people, Moses was demonstrating that their covenant with God was a sharing in the life of God, that their lives were bound together with God.

And in a deeper way, when God shared our life in fullness by becoming human, Jesus sealed the new covenant, sharing his very self with us as food.... nourishment that sustains our life. The Divine Life that is given to us so in our consuming the Holy Gifts we MAY REALLY be the Body of Christ. Our Eucharist reminds us of our promises to God and God's promises to us. Our Eucharist energizes us to continue Christ's mission in the world, guided by the Holy Spirit (through whose power simple bread and wine become for us the precious gift we celebrate on this feast!). And- so much more.

The Rite of Acceptance and Welcome will be celebrated at the 9:30AM Mass this Sunday, marking the beginning of the next session of the Catechumenate.

Mystagogia will meet in room 212 of the CARE Center.

And the next Inquiry session is Tuesday June 12.