All ate and were filled

The Solemnity of Corpus Christi
The Second Sunday after Pentecost

Collect

O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament have left us a memorial of your Passion, grant us, we pray, so to revere the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood that we may always experience in ourselves the fruits of your redemption. Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Reading
Gn 14:18–20

Melchizedek brought out bread and wine.

A reading from the Book of Genesis

In those days, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine,
   and being a priest of God Most High,
   he blessed Abram with these words:
   “Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
      the creator of heaven and earth;
   and blessed be God Most High,
      who delivered your foes into your hand.”
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.


The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4

R. :

℟. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand
   till I make your enemies your footstool.”

℟. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The scepter of your power the Lord will stretch forth from Zion:
   “Rule in the midst of your enemies.”

℟. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

“Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
   before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you.”

℟. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent:
   “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”

℟. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

Second Reading
1 Cor 11:23–26

For as often as you eat and drink, you proclaim the death of the Lord.

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

Brothers and sisters:
   I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, 
   that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, 
   took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
   broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
   “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, 
   you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

The word of the Lord.

Acclamation before the Gospel

Jn 6:51

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the living bread from heaven, says the Lord;
if anyone eats this bread he will live forever.

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.


Lk 9:11b–17

They all ate and were satisfied.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God,
   and he healed those who needed to be cured.
As the day was drawing to a close,
   the Twelve approached him and said,
“Dismiss the crowd
   so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms
   and find lodging and provisions;
   for we are in a deserted place here.
He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.”
They replied, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have,
   unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.”
Now the men there numbered about five thousand.
Then he said to his disciples,
   “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty.”
They did so and made them all sit down.
Then taking the five loaves and the two fish,
   and looking up to heaven,
   he said the blessing over them, broke them,
   and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
They all ate and were satisfied.
And when the leftover fragments were picked up,
   they filled twelve wicker baskets.

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflection

Imagine Jesus surrounded by the crowds that used to follow Him, many where hungry for His word; others needed healing. Jesus always welcomed those who approached Him with open arms, love, and generosity. In contrast, the Twelve asked Jesus to send the people away to provide for themselves: “Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions” (v. 12).

Jesus does not reason as the Twelve do. Jesus desires that His disciples not only keep their eyes open to the needs of others but also have a generous heart—sensitive to the plight of their neighbour and ready to share all that they are and all that they possess with those in need.

Consequently, Jesus surprised them when He decided to place the responsibility of the crowd on their shoulders: “You give them something to eat” (v. 13). Once again, the attitude of the Twelve was far from that of Jesus. The first thing that came to their minds was that they could not accomplish what the Master has asked of them: “We have no more than five loaves and two fish …” (v. 13). Yet Jesus accepts the little they had, “he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were filled” (v. 17).

If we observe the world around us, we will surely find people who hunger: hungry for a simple smile, hungry for a sympathetic ear, hungry for sense and meaning in their lives, hungry for unending joy, hungry for a word of encouragement, hungry for love. Today Jesus is telling each one of us: “You give them something to eat.” Sometimes we may find ourselves in a similar situation to that of the Twelve—feeling incapable, thinking there are others that can help, and many other excuses. Today’s Word teaches us that through the power of His love, Jesus can increase what we offer despite our poverty. Jesus will actually transform our poverty into abundance, if we allow Him. Jesus blesses and shares our offering, as He did with the five loaves and the two fish. Not only was the crowd satisfied but there were pieces left over.

This is the Sacrament of love that we celebrate this Sunday—the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Our Lord—who gave Himself for us completely and chose to remain with us in the Eucharist. Each time we receive the Body and Blood of Christ we accept His invitation: “You give them something to eat.” What a grace it would be if we allow Jesus in the Eucharist to transform us into Himself, so that we become Him whom we receive. Let us be generous and offer all that we are and all that we have to the Lord, so that He may bless it and distribute it for the common good.

Stop and Think
- Do we allow the Eucharist we receive to transform us into Christ?
- How are we living the Eucharist? Are we sharing all that we are and all that we have with our neighbour?

Prayer

Make your ways known to me, O Lord;
 teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and instruct me,
 for you are God, my Saviour,
 and in you I hope all the day long.

Psalm 25: 4-5

 

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