Sunday, June 18, 2017
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood
of Christ (Corpus Christi
It-Tifkira Solenni tal-Ġisem u
d-Demm ta' Ġesu'
Messalin A pp 243
Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14B-16A
Moses said to the
people: "Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God, has directed
all your journeying in the desert, so as to test you by affliction and find out
whether or not it was your intention to keep his commandments. He therefore let
you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna, a food unknown to
you and your fathers, in order to show you that not by bread alone does one
live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD. "Do
not forget the LORD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that
place of slavery; who guided you through the vast and terrible desert with its
saraph serpents and scorpions, its parched and waterless ground; who brought
forth water for you from the flinty rock and fed you in the desert with manna,
a food unknown to your fathers."
L-Ewwel Lezzjoni
Qari mill-Ktieb tad-Dewteronomju 8,
2-3, 14b-16a
F'dak
iż-żmien, Mose' kellem lill-poplu u qal: "Ftakar fil-mixja kollha li
mexxiek il-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, matul dawn l-erbgħin sena fid-deżert,
biex iċeknek u iġarrbek, ħalli jkun jaf x'għandek f'qalbek, jekk tridx toqgħod
għall-kmandamenti tiegħu jew le. Huwa ċekknek, ried li tbati l-ġuħ, imbagħad
temgħek il-manna, li la int u lanqas missirijietek ma kontu qatt tafu biha,
biex jurik li mhux bil-ħobż biss jgħix il-bniedem, imma b'dak kollu li joħroġ minn
--------------------
RESPONSORIAL
PSALM
Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
R/ (12) Praise the
Lord, Jerusalem
Glorify the LORD, O
Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your
children within you. R/
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word! R/
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word! R/
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia. R/
Salm Responsorjali
Salm 146(147)
R/ Sebbaħ, Ġerusalemm, lill-Mulej.
Sebbaħ, Ġerusalemm,
lill-Mulej;
faħhar lil Alla tiegħek, Sijon
Hu jseħħaħ l-istaneg tal-bibien tiegħek,
u jbierek ġewwa fik lil uliedek. R/
Hu jqiegħed fis-sliem it-trufijiet ta' artek,
u lilek bl-aħjar qamħ ixebbgħek.
Hu jibgħat fuq l-art il-kmand tiegħu;
bil-ħeffa tiġri l-kelma tiegħu. R/
Hu jxandar kelmtu lil Ġakobb,
il-liġijiet u d-digrieti tiegħu lil Iżrael.
Ma għamel hemm ma' ebda poplu;
lil ħadd ma għarraf id-digrieti tiegħu. `R/
--------------------
READING
1 COR 10:16-17
Brothers and sisters:
The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of
Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of
Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we
all partake of the one loaf.
It-Tieni Lezzjoni
Qari mill-Ewwel Ittra lill-Korintin 10,
16-17
Ħuti, il-kalċi mbierek li fuqu ngħidu l-barka
m'huwiex għaqda mad-demm ta' Kristu? U l-ħobż li naqsmu m'huwiex għaqda mal-
ġisem ta' Kristu? Għax la l-ħobża hi waħda, aħna, li aħna ħafna,
aħna ġisem wieħed; ilkoll kemm
aħna nieħdu seħem minn
--------------------------
SEQUENCE - LAUDA SION
Laud, O Zion, your
salvation,
Laud with hymns of exultation,
Christ, your king and shepherd true:
Bring him all the praise you know,
He is more than you bestow.
Never can you reach his due.
Special theme for glad thanksgiving
Is the quick’ning and the living
Bread today before you set:
From his hands of old partaken,
As we know, by faith unshaken,
Where the Twelve at supper met.
Full and clear ring out your chanting,
Joy nor sweetest grace be wanting,
From your heart let praises burst:
For today the feast is holden,
When the institution olden
Of that supper was rehearsed.
Here the new law’s new oblation,
By the new king’s revelation,
Ends the form of ancient rite:
Now the new the old effaces,
Truth away the shadow chases,
Light dispels the gloom of night.
What he did at supper seated,
Christ ordained to be repeated,
His memorial ne’er to cease:
And his rule for guidance taking,
Bread and wine we hallow, making
Thus our sacrifice of peace.
This the truth each Christian learns,
Bread into his flesh he turns,
To his precious blood the wine:
Sight has fail’d, nor thought conceives,
But a dauntless faith believes,
Resting on a pow’r divine.
Here beneath these signs are hidden
Priceless things to sense forbidden;
Signs, not things are all we see:
Blood is poured and flesh is broken,
Yet in either wondrous token
Christ entire we know to be.
Whoso of this food partakes,
Does not rend the Lord nor breaks;
Christ is whole to all that taste:
Thousands are, as one, receivers,
One, as thousands of believers,
Eats of him who cannot waste.
Bad and good the feast are sharing,
Of what divers dooms preparing,
Endless death, or endless life.
Life to these, to those damnation,
See how like participation
Is with unlike issues rife.
When the sacrament is broken,
Doubt not, but believe ‘tis spoken,
That each sever’d outward token
doth the very whole contain.
Nought the precious gift divides,
Breaking but the sign betides
Jesus still the same abides,
still unbroken does remain.
Sekwenza - Lauda Sion
Laud with hymns of exultation,
Christ, your king and shepherd true:
Bring him all the praise you know,
He is more than you bestow.
Never can you reach his due.
Special theme for glad thanksgiving
Is the quick’ning and the living
Bread today before you set:
From his hands of old partaken,
As we know, by faith unshaken,
Where the Twelve at supper met.
Full and clear ring out your chanting,
Joy nor sweetest grace be wanting,
From your heart let praises burst:
For today the feast is holden,
When the institution olden
Of that supper was rehearsed.
Here the new law’s new oblation,
By the new king’s revelation,
Ends the form of ancient rite:
Now the new the old effaces,
Truth away the shadow chases,
Light dispels the gloom of night.
What he did at supper seated,
Christ ordained to be repeated,
His memorial ne’er to cease:
And his rule for guidance taking,
Bread and wine we hallow, making
Thus our sacrifice of peace.
This the truth each Christian learns,
Bread into his flesh he turns,
To his precious blood the wine:
Sight has fail’d, nor thought conceives,
But a dauntless faith believes,
Resting on a pow’r divine.
Here beneath these signs are hidden
Priceless things to sense forbidden;
Signs, not things are all we see:
Blood is poured and flesh is broken,
Yet in either wondrous token
Christ entire we know to be.
Whoso of this food partakes,
Does not rend the Lord nor breaks;
Christ is whole to all that taste:
Thousands are, as one, receivers,
One, as thousands of believers,
Eats of him who cannot waste.
Bad and good the feast are sharing,
Of what divers dooms preparing,
Endless death, or endless life.
Life to these, to those damnation,
See how like participation
Is with unlike issues rife.
When the sacrament is broken,
Doubt not, but believe ‘tis spoken,
That each sever’d outward token
doth the very whole contain.
Nought the precious gift divides,
Breaking but the sign betides
Jesus still the same abides,
still unbroken does remain.
Sekwenza - Lauda Sion
Faħħar, Sijon,
lill-Feddej,
ir-ragħaj tiegħek u
l-mexxej,
bl-innijiet u bl-għana.
Ibqa faħhru daqs kemm
tista'
għax Hu 'l fuq minn
qatt ma tfaħħru kemm
jistħoqqlu.
Għat-tifħir ħaġa
tal-għaġeb,
il-ħobż ħaj li jagħti
l-ħajja,
hawn quddiemna f'dan
il-jum.
Dak il-ħobż li fuq
il-mejda,
lill-appostli fl-ikla
mqaddsa,
kien ingħata biex
jikluh.
Ikun sħiħ it-tifħir
tiegħek,
b'qalb ferrieħa, b'leħen
għoli,
ikun jixraq ferħ ir-ruħ.
Għax dal-jum ta' festa'
kbira,
ta' dik likla hu
t-tifkira,
meta saret l-ewwel
darba.
F'dina l-ikla s-Sultan
tagħna,
l-Għid il-ġdid tal-liġi
l-ġdida,
temm għal kollox l-Għid
qadim.
Il-qadim twarrab
mill-ġdid,
dak li hu ġie flok
ix-xbieha,
id-dawl biegħed dlam
il-lejl.
Dak li twettaq fl-aħħar
ċena,
Kristu ried jibqa'
jiġġedded,
biex ikun tifkira
tiegħu.
Imgħallmin b'tagħlim
imqaddes,
nibdlu l-ħobż u l-inbid
tagħna
b'sagrifiċċju għas-saħħa
tagħna.
Twemmin ġdid lilna
l-insara,
li dal-ħobż jinbidel
f'Ġisem,
u l-inbid jinbidel
f'Demm.
Dak li ma tarax jew
tifhem,
it-twemmin isaħħu u
jwettqu,
fuq kull ordni
tan-natura.
Taħt xbihat fejn aħna
nilmħu,
mhux il-ħajja, imma
sinjali,
jinħbew ħwejjeġ hekk
għeżież.
Ikel Ġismu, xorb hu
Demmu;
iżda Kristu sħiħ hemm
moħbi
taħt kull waħda mix-xbihat.
Sħiħ jittiekel Kristu
kollu,
bla jitkisser, bla
jitfarrak,
bla jinqasam minn
Jieklu elf u jiekol
wieħed,
kemm ħa dan, hekk
jieħdu huma,
bla jintemm meta
jittiekel.
Jieklu t-tajba, jieklu
l-ħżiena,
imma 'l dawk iġib
il-ħajja,
lil dawn jixħet
fit-telfien.
Mewt għall-ħżiena, ħajja
għat-tajba,
ara kif jinbidel fihom,
għalkemm jieħdu l-istess
ikel.
la tibżax, imm'int
ftakar,
taħt ix-xbieha ta' kull
farka
hemm jinsab daqs
fl-Ostja sħiħa.
Ebda ksur ma jsir fi
Kristu;
biss ix-xbieha tkun
miksura;
u b'dal ksur xejn ma
jitnaqqas
Dak li hu taħt din
ix-xbieha.
Dan ħobż l-anġli,
magħmul ikel
għall-bnedmin fit-triq
tal-ħajja,
ikel bnin għall-ulied
kollha,
li m'għandux fix-xejn
jintrema.
Bi xbihat kien ilu
mħabbar,
f'dik l-offerta ta'
Iżakk,
fil-ħaruf li nqatel
fl-Għid,
u fil-manna tad-deżert.
Int ragħaj tajjeb, ħobż
tassew,
Ġesu' tagħna, ħenn
għalina;
Int itmagħna u ħarisna;
inti lilna l-ġid urina
fl-art imbierka
tal-ħajjin.
Int li taf u tista'
kollox,
li titmagħna hawn
f'dil-ħajja,
hemm agħilna lkoll
imsieħba,
f'għaqda waħda lkoll
werrieta
mal-qtajjiet
tal-qaddisin.
Amen Hallelujah.
GOSPEL
John 6:51-58
Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: "I am the
living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my
flesh for the life of the world."
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give
us his flesh to eat?" Jesus said to
them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of
Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has
eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats
my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have
life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life
because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,
whoever eats this bread will live forever."
L-Evanġelju
Qari mill-Evanġelju skond San Ġwann 6, 51-58
F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' qal lin-nies
"Jiena hu l-ħobż il-ħaj, li niżel mis-sema. Jekk xi ħadd
jiekol minn
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“Sacrament of piety, sign of unity, bond of
charity"
Commentary by Fr. Thomas
Rosica, CSB
Our three Scripture readings for Sunday’s solemnity of the Body and
Blood of Christ describe three wonderful ways to talk about the gift of the
Eucharist. Allow me to offer some reflections on each of readings and conclude
with how we live out the Eucharistic mystery in our daily lives.
The Old Testament reading from Deuteronomy 8:2-3; 14b-16a presents Moses
addressing the people of Israel Moses , Israel
The reference to manna connects us to this day’s gospel when Jesus’
hearers are initially repulsed by his reference to eating his flesh. In the
Gospel text, Jesus mentions eating his flesh four times (Jn 6:51-58). Jesus is
none other than God’s entrance into our lives as a human being – flesh and
blood like us. Jesus’ listeners are not only having a difficult time thinking
about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, but they are having trouble accepting
that in Jesus, God has definitively entered the world.
One bread, one body
Sunday’s second reading is from St. Paul ’s
first letter to the fractured community in Corinth Corinth
In his commentary on John’s Gospel, St. Augustine
By our partaking of this food and drink, we are joined more closely to
one another as the body of Christ. Paul’s challenge to the Christians of
ancient Corinth
Enduring presence
The most important doctrines of our Catholic Christian faith remain the
same through the ages and need to be approached again and again in order to
rediscover their richness and experience their enduring significance for our
daily lives. These doctrines are the deepest sense of what the Scriptures
proclaim and that this deepest sense is discovered precisely when the
Scriptures are proclaimed in the liturgical assembly and when the Scriptures
become sacrament in the Eucharistic rite. From this source we draw our energy,
our vision and our hope to foster a true civilization of love.
At every mass, the liturgy of the Word precedes the Eucharistic liturgy.
There are two "communions," one with the Word and one with the Bread.
One cannot be understood without the other. The Eucharist does not only provide
inner strength, but also a certain way of life. It is a way of living that is
passed from Jesus to the Christian. The celebration of the Eucharist has no
meaning if it is not lived with love. Through the Eucharist we are challenged
at the level of our history to realize as much as possible what we celebrate
sacramentally: bread for all, salvation and liberation for all.
The Eucharistic Christ is truly present as bread for the poor, and not
for the privileged. In order to keep the Eucharistic reality credible, we have
to devote ourselves to a better, more just world. When we receive the
Eucharist, we partake of the one who becomes food and drink for others. We,
too, must become food and drink for the hungry. Faith in Jesus' resurrection
can itself be an unproductive or dangerous ideology if it does not stimulate us
actually to share bread with our brothers and sisters who are hungry.
Real Presence
In giving us the bread of life, Jesus does not offer temporary
nourishment, he gives us the eternal bread of his word. It will not pass away.
It will nourish and give life forever. Jesus is this bread, and in offering to
share it with us he calls us to faith in him. Jesus invites us to “come to
him,” “believe in him,” “look upon him,” “be drawn to him,” “hear him,” and to
“learn of him.” All of these verbs invite the active response of our faith (cf.
Jn 6:36, 37, 40, 44, 45). His word is nourishment for our faith.
Today’s feast of the Body and Blood of Christ is not a static occasion,
a time to gaze in wonder on the eucharistic species for private devotion and
communication with the Lord. The feast we celebrate together is not an
invitation to just gaze and look, but to receive the body and blood of Christ
and then, nourished by the divine life we receive, to become the body and blood
of Christ to the world.
When we come to receive Communion and the Eucharistic ministers hold the
sacred food and drink before us, they will say, “the Body of Christ; the Blood
of Christ.” They are not only naming what they are offering us to eat and
drink, they are also naming each one of us, for we are, “the body of Christ and
the blood of Christ.” In other words, the real presence is not only to be found
in church, but in each baptized Christian nourished by the Eucharist and
becoming the real presence of Christ to the world.
Eucharistic obligations
To celebrate the Eucharist is to commit oneself to a discipleship that
“remembers” Jesus, not only in the ritual breaking of the bread and sharing the
cup, but also in the “imitation” of Jesus, in the ongoing breaking of one’s own
body and spilling of one’s own blood “in remembrance” of Jesus.” For this
reason, Paul adds: “You proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (I Cor
11:26). When we commemorate or “do this as a memorial,” the object of the memory
is not an image or a replica of the Last Supper, but the Last Supper itself.
Having received the body and blood of Christ today we must ask ourselves some
questions. To worship in spirit and truth requires that our liturgy and ritual
prayer be linked with our daily living. How do we bring our daily living into
the Eucharistic celebration? What effect does the Eucharist have on our daily
living? How does our devotion to the Eucharist and devotion to family and work
enable us to be true disciples, in adoration before the Eucharistic presence of
Jesus?
How are we to be like Christ and feed the hungry and heal the sick? How
are we to be like Christ and lay down our lives for others? What is the
relationship between Eucharist and Reconciliation? Who is excluded from our
love at his moment? Who is crying out for our presence? What do we say to those
who are unable to partake of the Lord’s supper?
In the words and
imagery of St. Augustine, can we say that our reception of the Eucharist, on a
daily or weekly basis, nourishes our piety, urges us to work for unity, and
strengthens the bonds of charity that exist among us?
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