Gospel: Corpus Christi

Today's liturgy celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, where the Gospel reading is according to St John.

"I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world."

Then the Jews started to argue among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus replied to them: In all truth I tell you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, there is no life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise that person up on the last day. 

For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in that person.

And the living Father sent me, and I draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will also draw life from me. This is the bread that come down from heaven; it is not like the bread our ancestors ate: they are dead, but anyone who eats this bread will live forever.

The Gospel for the day recalls the Biblical basis of the theology of the doctrine of transubstantiation that occurs during the celebration of the Eucharist, where bread and wine are consecrated through the power of the Holy Spirit as the true body and blood of Christ. The concept maintains that this process occurs without changing its physical attributes; it is still bread and wine but was transubstantiated into a new form, hence the term.

In his public ministry, Jesus presented himself as the manna that come from heaven, for us to eat and drink. But unlike the manna that the Israelites received from God, Jesus is the living bread, so that whoever takes the communion during mass will have eternal life. As Christians and Catholics, we consider this as the highest form of prayer.

Going to mass and taking the communion on a regular basis allows us to constantly experience Christ inside us. It is how we are saved through him. The bread is our spiritual food, and it helps us to triumph from temptation. Sometimes it seems impossible but it is Jesus himself that strengthens us to win over temptation by living and becoming more like him.

Everyday where the mass is celebrated, Jesus become present in the midst of the congregation. Truly, God is with us and we are not orphans. Jesus comes to us in many forms, like through our neighbors and those who are hungry, but the most important manifestation of Christ's presence is through the consecrated bread and wine.

In the Adoration Chapel, Jesus is ever present in the monstrance that holds the sacred host. Truly, we were not left behind.  God is with us. The Lord Jesus lives!

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The Gospel is sponsored by Bershka.