THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST CORPUS CHRISTI - Mk 14:12-16, 22-26 - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

READING OF THE DAY

First reading from the Book of Exodus

Ex 24:3-8

When Moses came to the people

and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD,

they all answered with one voice,

"We will do everything that the LORD has told us."

Moses then wrote down all the words of the LORD and,

rising early the next day,

he erected at the foot of the mountain an altar

and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.

Then, having sent certain young men of the Israelites

to offer holocausts and sacrifice young bulls

as peace offerings to the LORD,

Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls;

the other half he splashed on the altar.

Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people,

who answered, "All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do."

Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying,

"This is the blood of the covenant

that the LORD has made with you

in accordance with all these words of his."

Second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews

Heb 9:11-15

Brothers and sisters:

When Christ came as high priest

of the good things that have come to be,

passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle

not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation,

he entered once for all into the sanctuary,

not with the blood of goats and calves

but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.

For if the blood of goats and bulls

and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes

can sanctify those who are defiled

so that their flesh is cleansed,

how much more will the blood of Christ,

who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God,

cleanse our consciences from dead works

to worship the living God.

For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant:

since a death has taken place for deliverance

from transgressions under the first covenant,

those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Mark

Mk 14:12-16, 22-26

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,

when they sacrificed the Passover lamb,

Jesus’ disciples said to him,

"Where do you want us to go

and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"

He sent two of his disciples and said to them,

"Go into the city and a man will meet you,

carrying a jar of water.

Follow him.

Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house,

'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room

where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"'

Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready.

Make the preparations for us there."

The disciples then went off, entered the city,

and found it just as he had told them;

and they prepared the Passover.

While they were eating,

he took bread, said the blessing,

broke it, gave it to them, and said,

"Take it; this is my body."

Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them,

and they all drank from it.

He said to them,

"This is my blood of the covenant,

which will be shed for many.

Amen, I say to you,

I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine

until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

Then, after singing a hymn,

they went out to the Mount of Olives.

THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST CORPUS CHRISTI - Mk 14:12-16, 22-26

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In today's Word of God, God the Father calls all humanity to believe absolutely in the Word of God the Father as taught through Jesus Christ, the only Son of God the Father. He Himself came down to earth, sacrificed Himself, died, and was resurrected to save all humanity. Thanks to the sacrifice of God the Father's only son, He has left a mark of absolute love for people to believe, which is the Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The One who is truly present in the Eucharist is also God the Father, the only God.

This is what God the Father has arranged since the beginning of the world when God the Father's work of salvation was promised to mankind: when the time comes, the only Son of God the Father will come down to be with humanity, to love and save humanity, through His death on the cross and through His Resurrection after three days.

God has loved humanity and has sacrificed and died so that He can be with humanity until the end of the world. All of the establishment of the Holy Eucharist was predicted from ancient times when the people of Israel setted up altars to offer thanksgiving to God the Father, through ritual sacrifices to the God of the Israelites. Moses has built an altar to honor God so that God would be with humanity; which is a prophetic image foreshadowing the work of salvation of God the Father's only Son, Jesus Christ.

More than 2,000 years ago, God's only son, Jesus Christ, has carried out the plan that God the Father had foretold to humanity: He would sacrifice Himself, die, and rise again to save humanity. Whoever receives the Lord's Body and Blood will have eternal life, and will be in God through His death and resurrection. To gain eternal life, people must completely believe in the suffering and resurrection of Jesus Christ, to atone for humanity's sins, so that humanity can have life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Word of God teaches mankind today: that Satan is working to destroy God's plan of salvation. They try to make people disbelieve in the sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They then aim to make people lose faith in the Holy Eucharist, which is the presence of God with humanity.

God reminds humanity: that there is no sacrifice greater than the sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This sacrifice can bring eternal life to humans if humans believe and follow the suffering of Jesus Christ. This is something that humans must firmly believe in order for God the Father to free them from Satan's imprisonment on our humanity: It is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ that was shed to redeem all mankind. Because of this, if anyone is in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then the strength and love of God will spread on that person, and that person will be capable of living what God the Father has taught which is: giving up hatred, and giving up disobeying the will of God the Father, and can overcome the very strong temptation of Satan.

In today's Word of God, God the Father calls all creatures that God the Father created:

- To come worship and bow before the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, glorify Him so that He may love us, so He could stay, protect, and lead our souls to enjoy the happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven. That is also something that Satan is not pleased with when humans come to bow and worship the Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Satan does not like us coming to worship God! Therefore, they will find every way to keep us from coming close, and find every way to deceive us into losing faith in the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ residing in the Holy Eucharist. They will find every way to bury the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

God the Father clearly sees those who believe in Jesus Christ residing in the Holy Eucharist. Through this faith, God the Father will save them from Satan's captivity. And God the Father has told all humanity: that all creatures are children of God the Father because all things were created by Him.

Therefore, once again, God the Father calls all humanity, all of God the Father's creatures:

- To worship and submit before the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ residing in the Holy Eucharist, the food that nourishes the body and soul for us. It is only the Body and Blood of God that brings eternal life to humans.

Run to Him, stay with Him, stay in Him, that is receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ; so that He Himself will nourish the body and soul of us in the love and grace of God the Father. Cleanse our hearts so that we always know how to worship the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist and in our own bodies and souls when receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

This is also what God the Father calls His children to do: to be awake to return to God the Father, be awake to return and receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Bow down, prostrate, and worship Him so that He will love us, so He may take care of us, protect and preserve us from Satan's temptations, from their control. It is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, His power that will spread over the souls of each person, and will eliminate all the control of Satan that is imprisoning the souls of humans when they truly repent of their sins before God the Father when they sincerely cleanse their hearts to become pure and beautiful to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. 

In God's Word today, God the Father earnestly calls humans to be alert that: when God dwells in their hearts, when God the Father dwells in the Holy Eucharist, they should thoroughly believe that: God the Father is in there, God the Father is in our souls, so we should keep our bodies and souls pure, so God the Father shall forever remain in us.

Thanks be to God. Amen