THE EUCHARIST NOURISHES US

Readings for Sunday, June 19, 2022

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Lectionary: 169

It-Tieni Ħadd fuq Għid il-Ħamsin
Il-Ġisem u d-Demm ta’ Ġesù
Solennità

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.

Qari 1                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.

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

The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool."
R You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
"Rule in the midst of your enemies."
R You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

"Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."
R You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
"You are a priest forever, according to the order of  Melchizedek."
R You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

Salm Responsorjali                Salm 109(110):1,2,3,4

R/.: Inti 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 jisgħobbx bih:
“Inti qassis għal dejjem
bħal Melkisedek!”. R/.

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.

Qari 2                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 Ġesù, 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  ’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.

LAUDA SION  - Sequence
(The shorter form)

Lo! the angel’s food is given
To the pilgrim who has striven;
see the children’s bread from heaven,
which on dogs may not be spent.   

Truth the ancient types fulfilling,
Isaac bound, a victim willing,
Paschal lamb, its lifeblood spilling,
manna to the fathers sent.
Very bread, good shepherd, tend us,
Jesu, of your love befriend us,
You refresh us, you defend us,
Your eternal goodness send us
In the land of life to see.
You who all things can and know,
Who on earth such food bestow,
Grant us with your saints, though lowest,
Where the heav’nly feast you show,
Fellow heirs and guests to be. Amen. Alleluia.  

Sekwenza    (fil-forma l-qasira)

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,
Ġesù 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 agħmilna lkoll imsieħba,
f’għaqda waħda lkoll werrieta
mal-qtajjiet tal-qaddisin.
Ammen. Hallelujah.

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.

Evanġelju               mill-Evanġelju skont San Luqa 9:11b-17

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qagħad ikellem il-folol fuq is-Saltna ta’ Alla, u fejjaq lil dawk li kienu jeħtieġu l-fejqan. Il-jum kien wasal 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 għall-inqas 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 bilqiegħda ħamsin ħamsin”. Hekk għamlu, u qiegħdu lil kulħadd bilqiegħda.  Imbagħad ħa l-ħames ħobżiet u ż-żewġ ħutiet, rafa’ għajnejh lejn is-sema, berikhom u qasamhom, u tahom lid-dixxipli biex inewluhom lin-nies. U kulħadd kiel u xaba’ u l-bċejjeċ tal-ħobż li kien fadal ġabruhom fi tnax-il qoffa.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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Eight-minute  Gospel reflection by Fr Antony Kadavil  

Importance:

    1) The last two precious gifts given to us by Jesus are the Holy Eucharist as our spiritual food on Holy Thursday and Jesus’ mother Mary as our spiritual mother on Good Friday

    2) Corpus Christi reminds us of the abiding presence of our loving God as Emmanuel (God with us), which is celebrated yearly in order that we may give collective thanks to our Lord for his living with us in the Eucharist.

    3) The feast also gives us an occasion to learn more about the importance and value of the “Real Presence” of Jesus in the Eucharist, so that we may appreciate the Sacrament better and maximum benefit from receiving Communion.

We believe in the “Real Presence” of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist because

    1) Jesus promised it after miraculously feeding the 5000.
    2) Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist during his Last Supper.
    3) Jesus commanded his disciples to repeat it in his memory.
    4) “Nothing is impossible for God” (Lk 1:37)

We explain the real presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist by: “transubstantiation” which means that the substance of the consecrated bread and wine is changed to the substance of the risen, living Jesus in His glorified Body and Blood by the action of the Holy Spirit, while the accidents (like color, shape, taste, etc. of the consecrated bread and wine), remain unchanged.

Scripture lessons:

This year’s readings for the Feast emphasize the linked themes of Ministerial Priesthood and Covenant blood because the ancient peoples sealed Covenants with the blood of ritually sacrificed animals, and Jesus sealed his New Covenant with his own Blood sacrificially shed on Calvary. 

Sunday’s first reading describes how Moses, by sprinkling the blood of a sacrificed animal on the altar and on the people, accepted the Covenant Yahweh proposed and made with His People. In the second reading, St. Paul affirms that Jesus sealed the New Covenant with his own Blood, thereby putting an end to animal sacrifices.

Today’s Gospel details how Jesus converted this ancient ritual into a Sacrament and sacrifice. Instead of the lamb’s blood, Jesus offered his own Divine/human Body and Blood, and instead of sprinkling us with blood, Jesus put it into our hands as food and drink: “Take … eat … this IS my Body which will be given up for you” (He did not say “This represents my body”), and “Take … drink …This is … my Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal Covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many….” (nor did He say, “This represents my blood…”).

A Sacrament and a sacrifice:

Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist both as a sacramental banquet and a sacrificial offering.

As a Sacrament.....

    a) the Eucharist is a visible sign that gives us God’s grace and God’s life and, 

    b) as a communal Meal,

The Eucharist unites us and nourishes our souls.

As a sacrifice ....

    a) the Eucharistic celebration is a re-presentation or re-enactment of Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary, completed in His Resurrection. 

    b) As Church, we offer Jesus’ sacrifice to God the Father for the remission of our sins, using signs and symbols.

Life messages:

    1) Let us appreciate the “Real Presence” of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, by receiving him with true repentance for our sins, due preparation, and deep reverence.

    2) Let us be Christ-bearers and conveyers: By receiving Holy Communion, we become Christ-bearers as Mary was, with the duty of conveying Christ to others at home and in the workplace, through love, mercy, forgiveness, and humble and sacrificial service.

    3) Let us offer our lives on the altar along with Jesus’ sacrifice, asking pardon for our sins, expressing gratitude for the blessings we have received, and presenting our needs petitions on the altar.

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