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Lectionary: 167
Reading 1 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 waterl ess 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."
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or: R. Alleluia.
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. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or: R. Alleluia.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or: R. Alleluia.
Reading 2 Corinthians 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.
Sequence — Lauda Sion (shorter form)
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
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.
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 quarrelled 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."
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>>> Is-Solennità tal-Ġisem u d-Demm Imqaddes ta’ Kristu
Qari 1 mill-Ktieb tad-Dewteronomju 8:2-3,14b-16a
F’dak iż-żmien, Mosè kellem lill-poplu u qal: “Ftakar fil-mixja kollha li mexxiek il-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, matul dawn l-erbgħin sena fid-deżert, biex iċekknek u jġarrbek, 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 fomm il-Mulej, b’dan jgħix il-bniedem. Qis li ma titkabbarx qalbek u tinsa l-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, li ħarġek mill-art tal-Eġittu, mill-art tal-jasar. Hu li mexxiek fid-deżert kbir u jwaħħax, mimli sriep velenużi u skorpjuni, art niexfa bla ilma xejn, li ħariġlek l-ilma mill-blata taż-żnied, li temgħek il-manna fid-deżert, li missirijietek ma kienu jafu biha xejn”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej. R. Irroddu ħajr lil Alla.
Salm Responsorjali Salm 146(147):12-13,14-15,19-20
Sebbaħ, Ġerusalemm, lill-Mulej;
faħħar lil Alla tiegħek, Sijon!
Hu jsaħħaħ 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 hekk ma’ ebda poplu;
lil ħadd ma għarraf id-digrieti tiegħu. R.
Qari 2 mill-Ewwel Ittra ta’ San Pawl lill-Korintin 10:16-17
Ħuti, il-kalċi mbierek li fuqu ngħidu l-barka mhuwiex għaqda mad-demm ta’ Kristu? U l-ħobż li naqsmu mhuwiex għaqda mal-ġisem ta’ Kristu? Għax la l-ħobża hi waħda, aħna, li aħna ħafna, aħna ġisem wieħed; ilkoll kemm aħna nieħdu sehem minn ħobża waħda. La l-ħobża hi waħda, aħna, li aħna ħafna, aħna ġisem wieħed. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej. R. Irroddu ħajr lil Alla.
Sekwenza
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.
Amen. Hallelujah.
Evanġelju Qari mill-Evanġelju skond San Ġwann 6:51-58
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lin-nies: “Jiena hu l-ħobż il-ħaj, li niżel mis-sema. Jekk xi ħadd jiekol minn dan il-ħobż jgħix għal dejjem. U l-ħobż li jiena nagħti huwa ġismi għall-ħajja tad-dinja”. Fuq hekk il-Lhud tlewmu bejniethom, u bdew jgħidu: “Kif jista’ dan jagħtina ġismu biex nikluh?”. Ġesù mela qalilhom: “Tassew, tassew ngħidilkom, jekk ma tiklux il-ġisem ta’ Bin il-bniedem u ma tixorbux demmu, ma jkollkomx il-ħajja fikom. Min jiekol ġismi u jixrob demmi għandu l-ħajja ta’ dejjem, u jiena nqajmu mill-imwiet fl-aħħar jum. Għax ġismi huwa tassew ikel, u demmi hu tassew xorb. Min jiekol ġismi u jixrob demmi jibqa’ fija u jiena fih. Bħalma bagħatni l-Missier, li hu ħaj, u jiena ngħix b’Missieri, hekk ukoll min jiekol lili, hu wkoll jgħix bija. Dan huwa l-ħobż li niżel mis-sema; mhuwiex bħal dak li kielu missirjietkom u mietu; min jiekol dan il-ħobż jgħix għal dejjem”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej. R. Tifħir lilek, Kristu.
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///////////// REFLECTION
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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 is the celebration of the abiding presence of a loving God as Emmanuel – God-with-us – in order to 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 Infinite Value of the Sacrament by adoring and receiving Jesus in It
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.”
We explain the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist by the Aristotelian philosophical term “transubstantiation” which means that the substance of the consecrated bread and wine is changed, by the action of the Holy Spirit at the Epiklesis through the words of the priest, into the substance of the risen Jesus’ risen glorified Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, while its accidents (like color, shape, taste etc.), remain unchanged.
Scripture lessons:
In the first reading, Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a, Moses instructs the Israelites to “remember and not forget” God’s miraculous provision of food in the manna given to them in the desert. The Church, through the Holy Mass, re-presents (makes present again) or re-enacts the Sacramental Self-offering Jesus makes on Calvary. In the second reading, Paul reminds the Corinthians that the Bread they share is the real Body of Christ which makes their community also the Body of the risen Christ. In Sunday’s Gospel passage, Jesus identifies himself as “the living bread that came down from heaven,” thus linking himself with the manna in the wilderness, while assuring his disciples that, unlike those who ate manna, “One who eats this Bread will live for ever.”
A Sacrament and a sacrifice: Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist both as a sacramental banquet and a sacrificial offering.
1) As a Sacrament:
a) the Eucharist is a visible sign that gives us God’s grace and His life and,
b) as a meal, it nourishes our souls.
2) As a sacrifice:
a) the Eucharistic celebration is a re-presentation or re-enactment of Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary, completed in His Resurrection.
b) 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, reverence in our reception and spending time in thanksgiving to, and adoration of, Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, now within us.
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, 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, presenting our needs and petitions on the altar, and receiving Jesus with due preparation in Holy Communion.
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