THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST - Gospel (Lk 9:11b-17)

“He said to them, 'Give them some food yourselves'” (Lk 9:13)

FIRST READING - 14:18-20

A reading from the Book of Genesis

In those days, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine,

and being a priest of God Most High,

he blessed Abram with these words:

"Blessed be Abram by God Most High,

the creator of heaven and earth;

and blessed be God Most High,

who delivered your foes into your hand."

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

SECOND READING from the First Letter to the Corinthians - 11:23-26

Brothers and sisters:

I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,

that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,

took bread, and, after he had given thanks,

broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you.

Do this in remembrance of me."

In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,

"This cup is the new covenant in my blood.

Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,

you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - 9:11b-17

From the Gospel according to Luke

Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God,

and he healed those who needed to be cured.

As the day was drawing to a close,

the Twelve approached him and said,

"Dismiss the crowd

so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms

and find lodging and provisions;

for we are in a deserted place here."

He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves."

They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have,

unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people."

Now the men there numbered about five thousand.

Then he said to his disciples,

"Have them sit down in groups of about fifty."

They did so and made them all sit down.

Then taking the five loaves and the two fish,

and looking up to heaven,

he said the blessing over them, broke them,

and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.

They all ate and were satisfied.

And when the leftover fragments were picked up,

they filled twelve wicker baskets.

THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST - Gospel (Lk 9:11b-17)

Dear People of God,

God always loves and never wants to be separated from people. From the very beginning of creation, God created humanity in His own image. He desires people to be beautiful and radiant, living close to God the Father of Love. He always loves and never wants any soul to be far from Him. Therefore, in His plan of salvation, He revealed His love for humanity by sending His own Son to become a man - to be with people and accompany them.

Before Jesus Christ died, He instituted the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist to show, in advance, that He would be with His people forever, offering His very life as food to nourish them.

When He said: 'This is my body and this is my blood. Take this and eat it and drink it. Do this in remembrance of me.’ He established the Sacrament of Love. God gave us this sacrament because He desires to be with us and dwell within us. It is also a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God the Father, as Jesus Christ unites the offering of His own Body with His members—the Church. In that union, each person also offers a personal sacrifice of thanksgiving to God the Father.

In this eucharistic sacrifice there is the image of Jesus Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit at the consecration. In the Eucharist there is always the blending and union of the Holy Trinity.

Jesus' miracle of multiplying the loaves foreshadowed the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. He is the Bread that will be broken and given to all, so that all who eat His Body and drink His Blood may become one with Him and have eternal life. The Body and Blood of the Lord are the "Spiritual Food and Drink" that nourishes the human soul each day. However, God has revealed that He only dwells in pure souls. Therefore, when receiving the Body and Blood of the Lord, each person must have a pure, innocent, and holy soul to be worthy of the Lord dwelling in their heart.

Saint Paul, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, said: When anyone eats the Body and drinks the Blood of Jesus Christ without recognizing that it is His Body, he is drinking the cup of 'punishment'. This serves as a solemn warning for all who receive the Holy Eucharist of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, today, God invites everyone who comes to the Sacrament of the Eucharist—the Sacrament of Love—to purify their souls, to welcome Him into their hearts, and to remain with Him. When God dwells within a person, they will experience peace, happiness, and divine protection from the power of evil and from falling into sin.

Today’s Word of God invites all His children to return to God the Father and to gather into the One, Holy Church, the Catholic Church, to welcome God, who is Love, into each heart. God always loves and always desires to be close to His people.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

19:00 June 22th, 2025 - Prayer of Divine Mercy - The Way to Heaven