Gospel: Corpus Christi

Today, the second Sunday after Pentecost, we celebrate another Solemnity, which marks our return to Ordinary Time in the liturgical calendar. The Gospel reading for today will be lifted from the account of St Mark (14:12-16; 22-26).

On the first day of the Feast of the 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 my guest room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?' Then he will show 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 has 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 Kinhdom of God."

Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. At one time, this day was called Corpus Christi, the Latin words for "the body of Christ." In the most recent revision of our liturgical rites, the name of this day is expanded to be a more complete reflection of our Eucharistic theology.

In our reading for today, we read the account of the Last Supper found in the Gospel of St Mark. It begins with the instructions that Jesus gave to his disciples to prepare their Passover celebration. It then goes on to give an account of the Last Supper. On this Sunday, however, our Lectionary reading omits the verses between these two passages; in those omitted verses we hear Jesus predict his betrayal by one of his disciples.

The Gospel of St Mark describes Jesus' Last Supper as a celebration of the Jewish feast of the Passover. The Jewish celebration of the Passover is a memorial to and a ritual preparation in the defining moment of Israel's history. It celebrates God deliverance of his people from slavery in Egypt. The Passover meal includes many ritually important elements, such as unleavened bread, lamb, and bitter herbs. Each food item recalls an aspect of the Exodus event. The instructions of the preparation of this meal are carefully prescribed in the Law of Moses. It is a central obligation of the Jewish faith tradition to celebrate this meal and to give thanks to God for his deliverance and protection.

In the description of the Passover meal in today's Gospel, however, St Nark omits many elements of the Jewish Passover meal. Instead he describes only those elements he believes to be most essential to the Christian Eucharist: Jesus took bread, blessed the bread, broke the bread, and shared it with his disciples. Similar words and actions follow as Jesus shares the chalice with his disciples. This bread now shared is Jesus' own body. Those who drink from the chalice are invited to share in a new covenant which will be sealed by Jesus' own blood. St Mark's Eucharistic theology looks forward to the Kingdom of God that Jesus inaugurates.

The Gospel for today reminds us that the Eucharist is a memorial of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. We believe that Jesus is truly present to us in the elements of bread and wine. Each time we celebrate this sacrament, we prepare for the Kingdom of God. This celebration, as the Second Vatican Council taught us, is the source and summit of the Christian life.

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