JUNE 10, 2012 : SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Lectionary: 168

Reading 1 Ex 24:3-8

When Moses came to the people
and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD,
they all answered with one voice,
"We will do everything that the LORD has told us."
Moses then wrote down all the words of the LORD and,
rising early the next day,
he erected at the foot of the mountain an altar
and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
Then, having sent certain young men of the Israelites
to offer holocausts and sacrifice young bulls
as peace offerings to the LORD,
Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls;
the other half he splashed on the altar.
Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people,
who answered, "All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do."
Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying,
"This is the blood of the covenant
that the LORD has made with you
in accordance with all these words of his."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 116:12-13, 15-16, 17-18

R. (13) I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
R. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
R. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 Heb 9:11-15

Brothers and sisters:
When Christ came as high priest
of the good things that have come to be,
passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle
not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation,
he entered once for all into the sanctuary,
not with the blood of goats and calves
but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.
For if the blood of goats and bulls
and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes
can sanctify those who are defiled
so that their flesh is cleansed,
how much more will the blood of Christ,
who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God,
cleanse our consciences from dead works
to worship the living God.

For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant:
since a death has taken place for deliverance
from transgressions under the first covenant,
those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.

Gospel Mk 14:12-16, 22-26

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
when they sacrificed the Passover lamb,
Jesus' disciples said to him,
"Where do you want us to go
and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
He sent two of his disciples and said to them,
"Go into the city and a man will meet you,
carrying a jar of water.
Follow him.
Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house,
'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room
where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"'
Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready.
Make the preparations for us there."
The disciples then went off, entered the city,
and found it just as he had told them;
and they prepared the Passover.

While they were eating,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, gave it to them, and said,
"Take it; this is my body."
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them,
and they all drank from it.
He said to them,
"This is my blood of the covenant,
which will be shed for many.
Amen, I say to you,
I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine
until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Then, after singing a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.

(www.usccb.org)

Scripture Study

June 10, 2012 Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

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This Sunday the Church in the United States celebrates the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. In most of the rest of the world this feast day was celebrated on the previous Thursday. In many European countries it was a national holiday. Because of its importance however, the American church transfers it to the following Sunday when it can get the attention it deserves. The readings call us to consider the meaning of the Holy Eucharist in the life of the Church and in our own personal lives. Mark's Gospel calls us to ponder the reality of Christ's presence in the Eucharist. Hebrews calls us to reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus as the foundation of the New Covenant while the first reading looks at the formal establishment of the Old Covenant. Each of us must consider our own relationship to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. With what faith do I approach our Eucharistic Lord and to what extent am I truly aware of the presence of Our Lord as I receive Him?

NOTES on First Reading:

* 24:3-8 Moses reports the "words" (Ten Commandments) and "ordinances" (Covenant Code) of God to the people who immediately assent to the covenant. 

* 24:4 A solemn ritual is prepared to mark the beginning of the new relationship with Yahweh. Pillars were stone shafts or slabs, erected as symbols of the fact that each of the twelve tribes had entered into this covenant with God. they were not idolatrous as the ones in Exodus 23:24, even though the same Hebrew word is used in both passages. The building of such monuments to mark a significant event was common in the ancient world. 

* 24:6-8 The altar is a symbol of God. The people and God are joined by being sprinkled with the blood of the same victim. Thus the covenant is ratified in blood as the new covenant would later be in the blood of Christ.

NOTES on Second Reading:

* 9:11-15 Much is said of the blood of Jesus and of the sacrifice of Jesus in the New Testament. In order to make any sense of the way in which the early church spoke of the blood and the sacrifice of Jesus it is necessary to have some understanding of the sacrificial system of Israel. 
We need to have several points clearly in mind: 
The concept of the sacrifice as food for the deity was common in Mesopotamian and other religions but was rejected by Israel (Ps 50:12, 13; Dt 32:38; Judges 6:18-22; 13:15-20). The sacrifice was a gift to God. It was burned in order to make the gift irrevocable and to place it in the realm of the spiritual. 
Atonement offerings, which the writer of Hebrews has in mind, were offered to make expiation for offenses of the people, leaders of the people or the priests. If expiation was being made for the priests and all the people, some of the blood was sprinkled seven times toward the veil in the Holy Place and some was rubbed on the horns of the Altar of Incense in the Holy Place. The rest of the blood was poured out at the base of the Altar of Holocaust. If it is done for individuals or for the leader of the people the rite was the same except for the sprinkling toward the veil. The fat of the animal was then burned on the altar and the rest of the animal was given to the priests if it was for the leader or an individual. If it was for the priests or for the people the remainder of the animal was burned in the remains of the ashes outside the sanctuary. The most complete set of rules for sacrifice are found in Lev chapters 1-7. These expiation sacrifices were intended to reestablish a communion with God that had been interrupted by sin. Although many pagan religions of the neighboring lands had rites intended to placate their angry gods, Israel never shared that view of sacrifice. In Israel, the expiation sacrifices were not aimed at God with the intent of satisfying His justice or anger. Nor were the animals killed as substitutes for the death of the sinner despite what has been written by many commentators and preachers through the years. Rather, the sacrifices were intended to remove the barrier between God and His people that had been erected by sin. The power of the expiation sacrifice was connected to the use of the blood. While breath was considered the principle or life-source, blood was seen as the seat of life. Since only God had the absolute power of life and death, the blood of the sacrificial animal was sacred to Yahweh and belonged to Him alone. This made blood sacred. The blood was poured out at the base of the altar as an avowal of God's absolute dominion over life. Because it was sacred and contained life, blood could expiate or purify. Blood was sprinkled toward the veil and rubbed on the horns of the altar in order to banish the impurity that had established a barrier between God and His people. These places and things were where God met His people. They were cleansed of the sin that had broken the relationship by the sacred blood containing life. The life in the sacred blood restored the relationship with God and made it possible for the sinner to once more approach God. This was the model that the earliest Christians, who were all Jews, used to help them understand the meaning of the death of Jesus. This was the context in which the vocabulary of Christianity concerning the cross was developed and it was this context that the writer of Hebrews had in mind when he wrote of the heavenly tabernacle. Hebrews Chapter 9 used the Jewish rites of the Day of Atonement as a type for the sacrifice of Jesus. 

* 9:11-12 Much ink has been spent in scholarly argument about this passage. These verses are usually interpreted as meaning that Christ, being the high priest of the spiritual blessings foreshadowed in the Old Testament sanctuary, has actually entered the true sanctuary of heaven that is not of human making and has there performed the tasks of the high priest. 
This text has also been taken by some to refer to Jesus' risen body which is the tabernacle rebuilt in three days not by men but by God. 
The words translated as "The good things that have come to be" actually read "the good things to come" in the majority of later manuscripts. Hebrews 10:1, where it is translated as "to come," uses the same Greek form. 

* 9:12 Just as the high priest had access to the Holy of Holies because of the blood of the sacrificial victim that he brought with him so Jesus enters the true Holy of Holies with His own blood. His own blood, having so much more value, achieved eternal redemption. 

* 9:13 A heifer's ashes refers to the ashes from a red heifer that had been burned and were mixed with water. The mixture was used for the cleansing of those who had become ritually defiled by touching a corpse (Numbers 19:9,14-21). 

* 9:14 There is a contrast here between death and life. The emphasis is on life without end (eternal). Jesus' priesthood is never-ending. 

* 9:15 Jesus' death brought about deliverance from transgressions committed under the Old Covenant, which the Mosaic sacrifices were incapable of removing. Until they were removed, the eternal inheritance promised by God could not be obtained. Jesus' role as mediator of the New Covenant is based upon his sacrificial death (See Hebrews 8:6). The inheritance, like the sacrifice that won it, is eternal.

NOTES on Gospel:

* The portion of the text shown in brackets above is not included in the reading but was included here only for completeness.

* 14:12 See Exod 12: 3-20 for the laws concerning the Passover derived from the first Passover. Also derived from this incident are the rules for the first-born which are given in Exod 12:3-20. Numbers 9: 1-14 gives an account of the second Passover. 

* 14:13 This was an odd thing to see. In the mid-eastern culture of the time, men usually carried water skins not water jars. Women carried water jars on their heads. 

* 14:16 Some have suggested that the text's lack of an expression of amazement on the part of the disciples may indicate a prearrangement that was known to them. This may be correct but it could also be a case of reading too much into what is not there. 

* 14:17-18 Jesus chooses to be remembered by/with a meal. The Passover meal (Seder) made the past present to those who celebrated it in the present in order to inspire and strengthen them to deal with the future. Jesus' meal does the same thing. 

* 14:18 Jesus quotes Psalm 41: 10 (verse 9 in some translations). 

* 14:20 That the traitor is one of the twelve emphasizes the enormity of the treachery. 

* 14:21 God's plan does not excuse us of our responsibility for what we do. 

* 14:22-24 The parallels for this event are found in Matt 26:26-29 and Luke 22:15-20. John does not relate the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. The parallel in John is found in John 6:48- 58 (especially 6:51-58). The earliest written description of the Last Supper is found in 1 Cor 11:23-25. Blessing, breaking and giving the bread is part of the Passover Seder ritual. 

The Greek word used for body at the end of verse 22 is "swma or soma" meaning body and carries the sense of the whole person. 

The institution of the Holy Eucharist is placed in the context of the Jewish Passover sacrifice and the Passion and Death of Jesus which is to begin almost immediately afterwards. By instituting the Holy Eucharist at a Seder Supper the Lord establishes the roots of the sacrament in the central element of celebration and remembrance of the Old Covenant. By doing it on the night of His betrayal He establishes a very strong connection to the paschal events of Holy Week. Thus Jesus transforms a ritual meal which was the central religious celebration of the Old Covenant into a ritual meal that is the central celebration of the New Covenant. Every time the Holy Eucharist is celebrated both the Exodus events and the death, resurrection and exaltation of Christ are made present and real to us so that the grace of God's presence in those events is available to us to strengthen and enable us in the present to move forward into the future. The Council of Trent (October 11, 1551, in "The Real Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist," chapter 1) said concerning Mt 26:26 ff; Mk 14:22; Lk 22:19 ff; and 1 Cor 11:23 ff that ... in the nourishing sacrament of the Holy Eucharist after the consecration of the bread and wine our Lord Jesus Christ, true God and man, is truly, really, and substantially [canon 1] contained under the species of those sensible things. For these things are not mutually contradictory, that our Saviour Himself is always seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven according to the natural mode of existing, and yet that in many other places sacramentally He is present to us in His own substance by that manner of existence which, although we can scarcely express it in words, yet we can, however, by our understanding illuminated by faith, conceive to be possible to God, and which we ought most steadfastly to believe."

* 14:24 The language used here comes from Exod 24:8; Zech 9:11; and Jer 31:31. 

The word translated as many actually may be better translated as "multitude" or "all." 

* 14:25 This statement is an act of trust and faith in the coming of the kingdom. This statement also places the Last Supper and the Eucharist in the context of the Messianic or eschatological banquet. 

* 14:26 The hymn spoken of here is the great Hallel which is a long praise of God which includes Psalms 113 through 118.

(www.st-raymond-dublin.org)

Meditation: "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many"

Why did Jesus offer himself as "food and drink" to his disciples? Jesus chose the time of Passover to fulfill what he had announced earlier at Capernaum – giving his disciples his body and his blood (John 6:51-58). Jesus’ passing over to his Father by his death and resurrection, the new Passover, is anticipated in the Last Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist or Lord's Supper, which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the church in the glory of God’s kingdom. This is the most significant meal of Jesus and the most important occasion of his breaking of bread. In this meal Jesus identifies the bread as his body and the cup as his blood. When the Lord Jesus commands his disciples to eat his flesh and drink his blood, he invites us to take his life into the very center of our being (John 6:53). That life which he offers is the very life of God himself. Jesus' death on the cross, his gift of his body and blood in the Supper, and his promise to dine again with his disciples when the kingdom of God comes in all its fulness are inseparably linked. Jesus instructed his disciples to "do this in remembrance of me". These words establish every Lord's Supper or Eucharist as a "remembrance" of Jesus' atoning death, his resurrection, and his promise to return again. "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). Our celebration of the Lord's Supper anticipates the final day when the Lord Jesus will feast anew with his disciples in the heavenly marriage feast of the Lamb and his Bride.  Do you know the joy of the drinking Christ's cup and tasting the bread of his Table in sincerity?

Mark ties the last supper meal with Jesus' death and the coming of God's kingdom. Jesus transforms the passover of the old covenant into the meal of the "new covenant in my blood". In the Old Covenant bread and wine were offered in sacrifice as a sign of grateful acknowledgment to their Creator. Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine, who was both priest and king (Genesis 14:18), prefigured the offering made by Jesus, our high priest and king. The unleavened bread at Passover and the miraculous manna in the desert are the pledge of God's faithfulness to his promises. The "cup of blessing" at the end of the Jewish passover meal points to the messianic expectation of the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Jesus gave a new and definitive meaning to the blessing of the bread and the cup when he instituted the "Lord's Supper" or "Eucharist".  He speaks of the presence of his body and blood in this new meal. When at the Last Supper Jesus described his blood “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28), he was explaining his coming crucifixion as a sacrifice for sins. His death on the cross fulfilled the sacrifice of the paschal lamb. That is why John the Baptist called him the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Jesus made himself an offering and sacrifice, a gift that was truly pleasing to the Father. He “offered himself without blemish to God” (Hebrews 9:14) and “gave himself as a sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). This meal was a memorial of his death and resurrection.

When we receive from the Lord’s table we unite ourselves to Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.) calls it the "one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ" (Ad Eph. 20,2). This supernatural food is healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward. When you approach the Table of the Lord, what do you expect to receive? Healing, pardon, comfort, and rest for your soul? The Lord has much more for us, more than we can ask or imagine. The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist is an intimate union with Christ. As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens us in charity and enables us to break with disordered attachments to creatures and to be more firmly rooted in the love of Christ. Do you hunger for the "bread of life"?

"Lord Jesus, you nourish and sustain us with your very own presence and life. You are the "Bread of Life" and the "Cup of Salvation". May I always hunger for you and be satisfied in you alone."

(Don Schwager)

The Feast of Champions

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

. Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, Jesus´ disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?" He sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him. Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ´The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"´ Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there." The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover. While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God." Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, today I renew my faith in your true presence in the Eucharist. I believe you come down from heaven to be present in the host at every Mass and remain with me in the Tabernacle. You are the source of my hope. I long to be more united to you through this gift of yourself.   Petition: Lord, increase my appreciation and devotion to you in the Eucharist. 1. The Power of Love: As Jesus prepared to accept the cross, he showed the depth of his true love for humanity by giving himself. He promised to be with us until the end of time, and it was no empty promise. Christ, true God and true man, transformed bread and wine into his Body and Blood and gave the apostles and their successors the power to make Christ present in the Eucharist. Jesus’ love wasn’t just a passing love. His love makes itself present every day in the Eucharist. Lord, help me to grasp and be grateful for the depth of love you showed to us by giving us your Body and Blood as food. 2. It All Started with Yes: Sometimes it is easy to take words for granted. How many times do we hear the words “yes” and “no,” but take no notice? Imagine if God had decided to not become man and let us die in our sins instead. Imagine too if Mary had said “No”. The Eucharist begins with God’s “YES” to save mankind from his sin. Through his sacrifice, Jesus offers us the supreme gift of love: his own body and blood. But like any story of love, Jesus offers us his love and asks for our love in return. Our “yes” is what it takes to bring to completion God’s love in us. Yes, Lord, I truly believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist! 3. The Heavenly Banquet Awaits Us: Christ says that he will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the day he drinks it anew in the Kingdom of Heaven. What a privilege it will be to participate in this banquet of heaven. The Eucharist and Mass are a foretaste of that noble banquet. Let us resolve to inebriate ourselves with Christ’s love given us through the Eucharist. “If only you knew the gift being offered to you” (Cf. John 4:10). Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus Christ, you gave us the Eucharist as the memorial of your suffering and death. May our worship of this sacrament of your body and blood help us to experience the salvation you won for us and the peace of the Kingdom where you live forever and ever. Resolution: Today I will receive Christ in the Eucharist and make a profound act of faith in his presence. If possible, I will also participate in a Corpus Christi procession.

(www.regnumchristi.org)

I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord

‘This is my blood, which is poured out for many.’
Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper is profound in its simplicity. The disciples did not know what was going to happen to him. Maybe they weren’t even aware how profound his words were then: ‘Take it, this is my body’, he said about the bread. Then he took the cup: ‘This is my blood which is poured out for many.’

Jesus gives us himself to take away and use wisely in our daily life. We can be as prepared as we like but when the time comes the experience and our reactions will be different to how we expected. Jesus gives his blood to assist us in our lives. This is awesome. May it penetrate to the depths of our souls and may we use them as only Jesus knows. 

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

THE SOUL

What does the word "soul" mean? ... No one can give a definition of the soul. But we know what it feels like. The soul is the sense of something higher than ourselves, something that stirs in us thoughts, hopes, and aspirations which go out to the world of goodness, truth, and beauty. The soul is a burning desire to breathe in this world of light and never to lose it - to remain children of light.

-         Albert Schweitzer, Reverence for Life

(www.churchresources.info)

MINUTE MEDITATIONS 

Perfect Sacrifice
Jesus freely chose to give his life for me. In the midst of his pain and suffering, at any moment he could have said, “Enough,” but he didn’t. Rather he endured the cross for me.
— from Hiking the Camino

(www.americancatholic.org)

BLESSED EDWARD POPPE

Blessed Edward Poppe is a contemporary saint. He died at the young age of 33. He was one of 11 children born to a modest, pious family in Belgium. One of his brothers had become a priest, and five of his sisters became nuns. He felt a call to the priesthood at a young age, but he only entered the seminary on his mother’s insistence. His father had died when he was 16 years old and Edward thought he should take on the family business.

He was drafted to the military in 1910 and served as a battlefield nurse during World War I. His prayers to St. Joseph during that time led to the miraculous freeing of several prisoners of war.

He was finally ordained in 1916 at the age of 25 and served as associate pastor, focusing his ministry to the poor, children and the dying. He also taught catechism and founded Eucharistic associations.

Always a man with a weak constitution, he was transferred to rural Belgium. In 1919, he suffered a heart attack. During his convalescence, he spent most of his time studying, praying and producing thousands of writings against Marxism and secularization.

He also developed a devotion to St. Therese of Lisieux and adopted her spirituality. He had another heart attack in January 1924, and died of a stroke only six months later. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1999.

ST. MARGARET OF SCOTLAND

Image of St.Margaret in a window at St.Margaret's chapel, Edinburgh, Scotland.

On June 10 the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland.

Margaret was born into royalty in Hungary around 1045. Her father was Edward Atheling, heir to the English throne, and her mother was Princess Agatha of Hungary. Her family returned to England when she was 10 years old, but the Norman Conquest forced them into exile. By this time, her father had died, and her mother fled with the children. They boarded a ship which crashed onto the coast of Scotland, where they remained.

In 1070, at the age of 25, Margaret married the king of Scotland, Malcolm Canmore. As queen, Margaret's faith had a strong influence on her husband’s reign. She softened his temper and led him to practice virtue. She dignified the court, providing an example of purity and reverence that led others to follow in her path. She and the king prayed together and fed the hungry, offering a powerful witness of faith to the people they served.

In addition to being a model wife and mother, Margaret worked tirelessly to bring justice and relief to the poor of Scotland. She also built churches and encouraged practices of religious devotion. In her private life, she exhibited great prayerfulness and piety. Her influence was seen not only in her husband's life, but throughout all of Scotland.

Site of the shrine of St.Margaret, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland.

Margaret died in 1093, just four days after her husband and one of her sons were killed in battle. She was canonized in 1250 by Pope Innocent IV and named patron of Scotland in 1673.

(www.catholicnewsagency.com)

LECTIO: CORPUS CHRISTI (B)

Lectio: 

 Sunday, June 10, 2012

The institution of the Eucharist
The supreme power of love
Mark 14:12-16.22-26

1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection. 
Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) A key to the reading:

Today, the feast of Corpus Christi, the Church places before us the scene of the Last Supper, the last meeting of Jesus with his disciples. This was a tense meeting, full of contradictions. Judas had already decided to betray Jesus (Mk 14:10). Peter had protested that he would not deny him (Mk 14:30). Jesus knew all this. But he did not lose his calm or his sense of friendship. Rather, it was precisely during this Last Supper that he instituted the Eucharist and realised the supreme sign of his love for them (Jn 13:1).

The four verses that describe the Eucharist (Mk 14:22-25) are part of a larger context (Mk 14:1-31). The verses that come before and after the Eucharist, greatly help us understand better the significance of Jesus’ action. Before the institution of the Eucharist, Mark speaks of the decision of the authorities to kill Jesus (Mk 1:1-2), of the act of fidelity of the anonymous woman who anoints Jesus in anticipation of his burial (Mk 14:3-9), of the betrayal pact of Judas (Mk 14:10-11), of the preparation for the Passover (Mk 14:12-16) and of the sign of the traitor (Mk 14:17-21). After the institution, there follows the foretelling of the flight by all (Mk 14: 26-28) and the announcement that Peter would deny him (Mk 14:29-31).

The liturgy of today cuts the text in pieces, but keeps the essential elements of the story of the institution of the Eucharist (Mk 14:12-16.22-26). In our text we keep verses 17-21 and 27-31, which are omitted in the text of the Mass. In our commentary we can limit ourselves to the text offered in the liturgy of the day. As we read, let us imagine we are with Jesus and the disciples in the room, partaking of the Last Supper, and let us seek to keep our attention on what strikes us most and what touches our hearts most.

b) A division of the text to help us with the reading:

Mark 14:12: The disciples want to know where to celebrate the Passover
Mark 14:13-15: Jesus tells them where and how to prepare for the Passover
Mark 14:16: The disciples do what Jesus tells them to do 
Mark 14:17-21: The announcement of the betrayal of Judas
Mark 14:22-24: Jesus gives a new meaning to the bread and wine 
Mark 14:25-26: The final words
Mark 14:27-31: The announcement of the dispersion of all and of the denial of Peter

c) Text:

12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was sacrificed, his disciples said to him, 'Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?' 13 So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 'Go into the city and you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him, 14 and say to the owner of the house which he enters, "The Master says: Where is the room for me to eat the Passover with my disciples?" 15 He will show you a large upper room furnished with couches, all prepared. Make the preparations for us there.'
16 The disciples set out and went to the city and found everything as he had told them, and prepared the Passover.
17 When evening came he arrived with the Twelve. 18 And while they were at table eating, Jesus said, 'In truth I tell you, one of you is about to betray me, one of you eating with me.' 19 They were distressed and said to him, one after another, 'Not me, surely?' 20 He said to them, 'It is one of the Twelve, one who is dipping into the same dish with me. 21 Yes, the Son of man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born.'
22 And as they were eating he took bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. 'Take it,' he said, 'this is my body.' 23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he handed it to them, and all drank from it, 24 and he said to them, 'This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, poured out for many. 25 In truth I tell you, I shall never drink wine any more until the day I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.' 
26 After the psalms had been sung they left for the Mount of Olives. 27 And Jesus said to them, 'You will all fall away, for the scripture says: I shall strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered; 28 however, after my resurrection I shall go before you into Galilee.' 29 Peter said, 'Even if all fall away, I will not.' 30 And Jesus said to him, 'In truth I tell you, this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will have disowned me three times.' 31 But he repeated still more earnestly, 'If I have to die with you, I will never disown you.' And they all said the same.

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) Which part of this text struck you most and why? 
b) Name one by one the many events that the text describes. 
c) What is the attitude of Jesus towards Judas who betrays him, and towards Peter who denies him? 
d) What does the action of Jesus mean when he breaks the bread saying: “Take and eat! This is my body which will be given up for you!” How does this text help us understand the Eucharist better? 
e) Look into the mirror of the text, enter into your heart and ask yourself: “Am I like Peter who denies? Am I like Judas who betrays? Am I like the twelve who run away? Or am I like the anonymous woman who remained faithful (Mk 14:3-9)?”

5. For those who wish to go deeper into the text

a) The context:

We are in the room of the Last Supper. What happened over the last couple of days has heightened the tension between Jesus and the authorities. Jesus’ solemn entry into Jerusalem (Mk 11:1-11), the driving out of the sellers at the temple (Mk 11:12-26), the discussions with the priests, the Scribes and the elders (Mk 11:27 to 12:12), with the Pharisees and the Herodians (Mk 12:13-17), with the Sadducees (Mk 12:18-27), with the Scribes (Mk 12:28-40), his reflections on the offerings of the rich and the poor (Mk 12:41-44), his announcement concerning the destruction of the Temple (Mk 13:1-3) and his discourse on the final judgment (Mk 13:4-37): all these things helped to increase the opposition of the great against Jesus. On the one hand we have the anonymous woman, a faithful disciple who accepted Jesus as Messiah and as crucified (Mk 14:2-9), on the other we have the disciples who could not understand and even less accept the Cross, and who wanted to run away, deny and betray (Mk 14:17-21.27-31). And in the middle of this tense and menacing environment we have the act of love of Jesus who gives himself completely while breaking the bread for his disciples. 
In the 70’s, in Mark’s time, many Christians from fear had refused, denied or betrayed their faith. And now they were asking themselves: “Have we broken our relationship with Jesus? Is it possible that he has broken his relationship with us? Is it possible for us to go back?” There was no clear answer. Jesus had not left anything in writing. It was by reflecting on what happened and remembering the love of Jesus that Christians gradually discovered the answer. As we shall see in the commentary, by the way Mark describes the Last Supper, he communicates the reply he discovered to these questions of the community, namely, that the welcome and love of Jesus are greater than the defeat and failure of the disciples. A return is always possible!

b) A commentary on the text:

Mark 14:12-16: Preparation for the Passover Supper. 
In complete contrast with the anonymous disciple who anointed Jesus, Judas, one of the twelve, decided to betray Jesus and conspired with the enemies who promised him money (Mk 14:10-12). Jesus knows that he will be betrayed. Nevertheless, he seeks to fraternise with the disciples at the last supper. They must have spent a good bit of money to hire the “large upper room furnished with couches, all prepared” (Mk 14:15). Then, it being the eve of the Passover, the city was overcrowded with visitors. The population usually tripled. It was difficult to find a room to meet in. 
The night of the Passover, families came from all parts of the country, bringing with them their lamb for the sacrifice in the Temple and, immediately after, each family celebrated in the intimacy of the family the Passover Supper and ate the lamb. The celebration of the Passover Supper was presided over by the father of the family. That is why Jesus presided at the ceremony and celebrated the Passover with his disciples, his new “family” (cf. Mk 3:33-35).
That “large upper room” stayed in the memory of the first Christians as the place of the first Eucharist. They were there after the Ascension of the Lord Jesus (Acts 1:13); they were there when the Holy Spirit descended upon them on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1). It must have been in the same room that they met to pray when they were persecuted (Acts 4:23.31) and where Peter met with them after his liberation (Acts 12: 12). Memory is concrete, connected to times and places of life.

Mark 14:22-26: The Eucharist is the act of supreme love. 
The last meeting of Jesus with his disciples took place in the solemn atmosphere of the traditional celebration of the Passover. The contrast is very pronounced. On the one hand we have the disciples who feel insecure and do not understand what is going on. On the other hand we have Jesus, calm and master of the situation, presiding at the supper and fulfilling the act of the breaking of the bread, inviting his friends to partake of his body and blood. He does what he always prayed for: to give his life so that his friends might have life. This is the deep meaning of the Eucharist: to learn from Jesus to share oneself, to give oneself, without fear of the forces that threaten life. Life is stronger than death. Faith in the resurrection cancels the power of death. 
After the supper, Jesus goes to the Garden with his friends and announces that all will abandon him: They will flee or be scattered! But he already tells them: “after my resurrection I shall go before you into Galilee!” They break their relationship with Jesus, but not Jesus with them! He goes on waiting for them in Galilee, where three years previously he had first called them. That is, the certainty of the presence of Jesus in the life of the disciple is stronger than abandonment or flight! Jesus goes on calling. He always calls! It is always possible to come back! This is the message of Mark to the Christians of the 70’s and for all of us. 
The way Mark describes the Eucharist gives greater stress to the contrast between the action of Jesus and the attitude of the disciples. Before his act of love, Jesus speaks of the betrayal of Judas (Mk 14:17-21) and, after the act of love he speaks of the denial of Peter and of the flight of the disciples (Mk 14:26-31). Thus he places emphasis on the unconditional love of Jesus who overcomes the betrayal, the denial and the flight of his friends. It is the revelation of the gratuitous love of the Father! Anyone who experiences this love will say:“neither… the heights nor the depths, nor any created thing whatever, will be able to come between us and the love of God, known to us in Christ Jesus our Lord!”(Rm 8:39).

c) Further information:

* The celebration of the Passover in Jesus’ times

The Passover was the principal feast of the Jews. During this feast they commemorated their liberation from Egypt, which is at the origin of the people of God. But it was not just a simple recalling of the Exodus. The Passover was a door that opened once more every year so that the generations might have access to the same liberating action of God who, in the past, had given rise to his people. By the celebration of the Passover, each generation, each person, drew from the same spring from which their fathers in the past had drawn when they were liberated from slavery in Egypt. The celebration was like an annual rebirth. 
In Jesus’ times, the celebration of the Passover was such that the participants might travel the same journey that was travelled by the people after their liberation from Egypt. For this to happen, the celebration took place with many symbols: bitter herbs, a lamb poorly roasted, unleavened bread, a chalice of wine, and other symbols. During the celebration, the youngest son had to ask the father: “Dad, why is this night different from all other nights? Why are we eating bitter herbs? Why is the lamb poorly roasted? Why is the bread unleavened?” And the father would answer with a free narration of past events: “The bitter herbs allow us to experience the hardness and bitterness of slavery. The poorly cooked lamb recalls the speed of the divine liberating action. The unleavened bread shows the need for renewal and constant conversion. It also recalls the lack of time to prepare everything because of the speed of the divine action”. This manner of celebrating the Passover, presided by the father of the family, gave the presider freedom and creativity in the manner he conducted the celebration.

* The Eucharist: The Passover celebrated by Jesus at the Last Supper

It was in order to celebrate the Passover of the Jews that Jesus, on the eve of his death, met with his disciples. It was his last meeting with them. That is why we call it the “Last Supper” (Mk 14: 22-26; Mt 26: 26-29; Lk 22:14-20). The many aspects of the Passover of the Jews continue to be valid for the celebration of the Passover of Jesus and form its background. They help us understand the whole significance of the Eucharist. 
Taking advantage of the freedom that the ritual gave him, Jesus gave new significance to the symbols of bread and wine. When he shared the bread he said: “Take and eat, this is my body given up for you!” When he shared the chalice of wine he said: “Take and drink, this is my blood shed for you and for many.” Finally, aware that this was the last meeting, the “last supper”, Jesus said: “I shall never drink wine any more until the day I drink new wine in thekingdom of God” (Mk 14:25). He thus united his commitment, symbolised by the broken and shared bread, with the utopia of the Kingdom. 
Eucharist means celebrating the memory of Jesus who gives his life for us, so that it might be possible for us to live in God and to have access to the Father. This is the deep meaning of the Eucharist: to make present in our midst, and to experience in our lives, the experience of Jesus who gives himself in his death and resurrection.

* The celebration of the Eucharist among the early Christians

Not always have Christians succeeded in maintaining this ideal of the Eucharist. In the 50’s, Paul criticises the community of Corinth that, in the celebration of the supper of the Lord, did the exact opposite because each one of you has his own supper first, and there is one going hungry while another is getting drunk (1 Cor 11,20-22). Celebrating the Eucharist as a memorial of Jesus means taking on the plan of Jesus. It means assimilating the plan of Jesus. It means assimilating his life shared, completely at the service of the lives of the poor. 
At the end of the first century, the Gospel of John, rather than describe the rite of the Eucharist, describes how Jesus knelt down to render the lowest service of those times: washing feet. After rendering this service, Jesus does not say: “Do this in memory of me” (as is said at the institution of the Eucharist in Lk 22:19; 1Cor 11:24), but he says: “Do as I have done to you” (Jn 13:15). Instead of ordering a repetition of the rite, the Gospel of John asks for attitudes of life that keep alive the memory of the gift that Jesus offers himself without limits. The Christians of John’s community felt they needed to insist on the meaning of the Eucharist as service rather as rite.

* A summary

To forget the richness of the Passover of the Jews when we celebrate the Eucharist is like tearing down the wall where the frame is hung. The richness of the celebration of the Passover, as it was celebrated in the Old Testament and in the times of Jesus, helps us deepen the meaning of the Eucharist and avoids the sense of routine that trivialises everything. Summarising what we have said, here are some points that may enrich our celebrations: 
• Be aware of the oppression in which we live today - chewing bitter herbs 
• Remember the liberation from oppression – the answers of the father to the questions of the son 
• Experience the speed of the liberating force of God – poorly cooked meat and unleavened bread 
• Celebrate the Covenant; commit yourself once more – committing ourselves in eating the bread that Jesus offers 
• Be thankful for the wonders of God towards us – acts of praise 
• Rekindle faith, hope and love – encourage each other
• Remember what has already been achieved and what remains to be done – remember the things God has done for us 
• Recreate the same gift that Jesus made of himself – washing feet 
• Live the passion, death and resurrection – of the constant mystery of life
• Practise communion, source of fraternity – acts of peace and help

6. Praying with a Psalm: Psalm 16 (15)

The Lord is my share of the inheritance

Protect me, O God, 
in you is my refuge.
To Yahweh I say, 
'You are my Lord, my happiness is in none
of the sacred spirits of the earth.' 
They only take advantage of all who love them.
People flock to their teeming idols. 
Never shall I pour libations to them! 
Never take their names on my lips.

My birthright, my cup is Yahweh; 
you, you alone, hold my lot secure.
The measuring-line marks out for me a delightful place, 
my birthright is all I could wish.
I bless Yahweh who is my counsellor, 
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep Yahweh before me always, 
for with him at my right hand, 
nothing can shake me.

So my heart rejoices, my soul delights, 
my body too will rest secure,
for you will not abandon me to Sheol, 
you cannot allow your faithful servant to see the abyss.
You will teach me the path of life, 
unbounded joy in your presence, 
at your right hand delight for ever.

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice that which your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

(www.ocarm.org)