Sunday Reading Reflections:

June 6, 2010
SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST

Reading 1 Reflection:

The scene in our Old Testament reading is the city of Salem, which would later become Jerusalem. The king of that city, Melchizedek, was also a priest. He came out to give Abram, whom God later called Abraham, a blessing, and to share bread and wine with him.

Melchizedek's blessing celebrated how God had protected Abram, the father of the Israelites, in a battle. Centuries later Christians saw a likeness between Jesus Christ and Melchizedek. They understood the sharing of bread and wine in this reading as a sign of the Eucharist.

Reading 2 Reflection:

Today, on the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, we listen to Paul's account of the Last Supper. Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks, breaks it, and says, "This is my body."

He repeats the same actions with a cup of wine, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood." In the same way, the celebrant repeats the words and actions of Jesus in the eucharistic prayer at each Mass. When we gather together for Mass, we share the Body and Blood of Christ, just as Jesus invited us to do at the Last Supper.

Gospel Reflection:

Have you noticed how all the readings today speak of feeding people? Our gospel story shows us Jesus and the Twelve surrounded by a huge, hungry crowd. When the Twelve protest that they cannot feed everyone, Jesus has them divide the crowd into smaller groups. Then he takes what they have five loaves, two fishes gives thanks (blesses the food), breaks it, and invites the disciples to pass it around and share it.

There is more than enough for everyone! We can, of course, see this story as a sign of the Eucharist, in which Jesus continues to feed the multitude of his followers. But we can also see it as a challenge to do what we can to feed the millions of hungry people in our world today.