Blog Post 6/19/2022 - The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

  

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

 

 

“Spirit and grace, here in this meal; you are the wind that breathes through the field.  Gather the wheat and form us in Christ.  Come, be our source and breath of life.  In the bread, blessed, broken and shared, Christ is our life, whose presence we bear.  Come, O Spirit, make your grace revealed in this holy meal.”  [Ricky Manalo, CSP]

May the Eucharist always be “the source and summit” of our lives.  As we celebrate: the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, a formidable name, the old name was simpler and, in some ways, clearer.  The Feast of Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ).  This feast has a twofold meaning: Jesus’ Presence in the Eucharist And Jesus’ Presence in us.

 

In the Gospel we hear four verbs: TAKE, BLESS, BREAK and GIVE.  They focus our attention on the actions of Jesus!  Jesus gave us the gift of the Eucharist so by receiving Him, we could grow spiritually and our relationship with Him would grow ever deeper and more intimate.  Strengthened by the Eucharist we can bring Jesus’ Presence into the world by the life we lead.  Jesus asked us: “do this in remembrance of me.”

He asked us to recall His Words and Actions, by doing our best to live in a manner like Him.  Spend some time thanking God for the Gift of Jesus Christ who gave us His Body and Blood to nourish us on our spiritual journey.

 

Today we take time to honor our fathers I received a precious gift, a framed photograph of my granddaughter Berkleigh receiving her first Holy Communion from me, in Kennesaw, GA on May 7, 2022.

And as we celebrate Father’s Day let us pray that, “God, bless our fathers, that they may find strength in this world to allow their faith and love shine forth.  Grant that we, their sons and daughters, may honor them always with a spirit of profound respect.”  Author Unknown [Modified by Dcn. George Kelly  from Jesuit resource at Xavier University]

 

“Today I thank God for my father and I ask God to bless my sons Joseph, Brian & Kyle (my son-in-law) who are fathers, grant them Your wisdom and Your love to share with their children. Grant them the strength to be Christian husbands and fathers. May their example faith and love shine forth, and give them the grace [always] to act with a spirit of profound respect.”

May God Be Praised!

 

 

*The art work image was done by Bro. Mickey McGrath OSFS