The Word On Sunday: Do This In Memory of Me

Readings for June 2, 2013

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Is-Solennita’ tal-Ġisem u d-Demm ta’ Ġesu'

Messalin C 250

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Reading 1 - Genesis 14:18-20

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. This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Ewwel Qari - mill-Ktieb tal-Ġenesi 14, 18-20

F'dak iż-żmien, Melkisedek, sultan ta' Salem, li kien qassis ta' El-għeljon, Alla l-għoli, ħareġ bil-ħobż u l-inbid. U bierek lil Abram u qallu:"Imbierek Abram minn Alla l-għoli, li għamel is-sema u l-art. U mbierek Alla l-għoli li reħa f'idejk l-għedewwa tiegħek." U Abram tah l-għexur minn kollox. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Responsorial Psalm - PSALM 110:1, 2, 3, 4

R. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool." R/

The scepter of your power the LORD

will stretch forth from Zion:
"Rule in the midst of your enemies." R/

"Yours is princely power in the

day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew,

I have begotten you." R/

The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
"You are a priest forever,

according to the order of Melchizedek." R/

Salm Responsorjali - Salm 103 (110)

R/ Inti l-qassis għal dejjem bħal Melkisedek.

Il-kelma tal-Mulej lil Sidi:

"Oqgħod fuq leminti,

sa ma nqiegħed l-għedewwa tiegħek

mirfes taħt riġlejk." R/

Ix-xettru tal-qawwa tiegħek

jibgħat il-Mulej minn Sijon:

aħkem f'nofs l-għedewwa tiegħek! R/

Tiegħek is-setgħa sa minn twelidek

fuq l-għoljiet imqaddsa,sa minn qabel is-sebħ

bħan-nida jien nissiltek. R/

Ħalef il-Mulej, u ma jisgħobx bih:

"Inti qassis għal dejjem bħal Melkisedek!" R/

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Reading 2 - 1 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. This is the Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Qari - mill-Ewwel Ittra ta' San Pawl lill-Korintin 11, 23-26

Ħuti, jien irċevejt mingħand il-Mulej it-tagħlim li għaddejt lilkom, jiġifieri, li l-Mulej Ġesu', fil-lejl li fih kien ittradut, ħa l-ħobż u wara li radd il-ħajr qasmu u qal: "Dan hu ġismi li jingħata għalikom; agħmlu dan b'tifkira tiegħi." Hekk ukoll għamel bil-kalċi wara li kiel u qal:"Dan il-kalċi hu l-patt il-ġdid b'demmi; agħmlu dan kull meta tixorbu, b'tifkira tiegħi." Mela kull meta tieklu dan il-ħobż u tixorbu dan il-kalċi, intom ixxandru l-mewt tal-Mulej sa ma jiġi. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel - Luke 9:11B-17

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. This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Evanġelju - mill-Evanġelju skont san Luqa 9, 11-17

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' qagħad ikellem il-folol fuq is-Saltna ta' Alla u fejjaq lil dawk li kienu jeħtieġu l-fejqan. Il-jum kien wasa biex jintemm. Resqu lejh it-Tnax u qalulu: "Ibgħathom in-nies ħa jmorru fl-irħula u r-rziezet tal-qrib biex isibu fejn jistrieħu u jieklu xi ħaġa, għax hawnhekk qegħdin f'post imwarrab." Iżda hu qalilhom: "Agħtuhom intom x'jieklu." Qalulu: "Ma għandniex aktar minn ħames ħobżiet u żewġ ħutiet, jekk għallinqas ma mmorrux aħna stess nixtru l-ikel għal dawn in-nies kollha!" Għax kien hemm madwar il-ħamest elef raġel. U qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: "Qegħduhom bil-qiegħda ħamsin ħamsin." Hekk għamlu u qiegħdu lil kulħadd bilqiegħda. Imbagħad ħa l-ħames ħobżiet u ż-żewġ ħutiet, rafa' għajnejh lejn is-sema, berikom u qasamhom,u tahom lid-dixxipli biex inewluhom lin-nies. U kulħadd kielu xaba' u l-bċejjeċ tal-ħobż li kien fadal ġabruhom fi tnax-il qoffa. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTARY

Father Cantalamessa on Memory

Here is a translation of a commentary by the Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, on the readings from this Sunday's liturgy.

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Do This in Memory of Me

In the second reading of this feast, St. Paul presents us with the most ancient account we have of the institution of the Eucharist, written no more than about 20 years after the fact. Let us try to find something new in the Eucharistic mystery, using the concept of memorial: "Do this in memory of me."

Memory is one of the most mysterious and greatest powers of the human spirit. Everything seen, heard and done from early childhood is conserved in this immense womb, ready to reawaken and to dance into the light either by an external stimulus or by our own will.

Without memory we will cease to be ourselves, we will lose our identity. Those who are struck by total amnesia, wander lost on the streets, without knowing their own name or where they live.

A memory, once it has come to mind, has the power to catalyze our whole interior world and route everything toward its object, especially if this is not a thing or a fact, but a living person.

When a mother remembers her child, who was born a few days ago and is left at home, everything inside her flies toward her baby, a movement of tenderness rises from her maternal depths and perhaps brings tears to her eyes.

Not just the individual has memory; human groups -- family, tribe, nation -- also have a collective memory. The wealth of a people is not so much measured by the reserves of gold it holds in its vaults, but rather by how many memories it holds in its collective consciousness. It is the sharing of many memories that cements the unity of a group. To keep such memories alive, they are linked to a place, to a holiday.

Americans have Memorial Day, the day in which they remember those who fell in all the wars; the Indians have the Gandhi Memorial, a green park in New Delhi that is supposed to remind the nation who he was and what he did. We Italians also have our memorials: The civil holidays recall the most important events in our recent history, and streets, piazzas and airports are dedicated to our most eminent people.

This very rich human background in regard to memory should help us better understand what the Eucharist is for the Christian people. It is a memorial because it recalls the event to which all of humanity now owes its existence as redeemed humanity: the death of the Lord.

But the Eucharist has something that distinguishes it from every other memorial. It is memorial and presence together, even if hidden under the signs of bread and wine. Memorial Day cannot bring those who have fallen back to life; the Gandhi Memorial cannot make Gandhi alive again. In a sense, the Eucharistic memorial, however, according to the faith of Christians, does do this in regard to Christ.

But together with all the beautiful things that we have said about memory, we must mention a danger that is inherent to it. Memory can be easily transformed into sterile and paralyzing nostalgia. This happens when a person becomes the prisoner of his own memories and ends up living in the past.

Indeed, the Eucharistic memorial does not pertain to this type of memory. On the contrary, it projects us forward; after the consecration the people say: "We proclaim your death, O Lord, and confess your resurrection, until you come."

An antiphon attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas ("O sacrum convivium") defines the Eucharist as the sacred feast in which "Christ is received, the memory of his passion is celebrated, the soul is filled with grace, and we are given the pledge of future glory."