Ordination at St. Patrick's Cathedral

Ordination at St. Patrick's Cathedral
June 19, 2010

Friday, June 12, 2020

Corpus Christi

The following is a reflection I submitted to the NY Archdiocesan Holy Name Society June 2020 Newsletter that I wanted to share with you.

  “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” John 6:51

Every year the Church commemorates the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, also referred to as The Solemnity of Corpus Christi. This year the feast falls on June 14th. The gospel assigned for this Sunday is taken from the Gospel of St. John chapter 6. This chapter is known as the Bread of Life discourse. Many of his followers found this teaching very hard to believe and accept, and as a result left Him.

We, as Catholics, based on what our Lord teaches us in this section of John, believe in the REAL presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Many Christian denominations believe the Eucharist to be only a symbol of the Body of Christ. But we take our Lord at His word when, at the Last Supper, Jesus says, “Take it; this is my body.”(Mark 14:22) and “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.”(Mark 14:24).

During the Coronavirus pandemic we have been deprived of being able to receive our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament at Mass. As we start attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist, let us be truly grateful for this wonderful gift of the Lord, truly present in the bread and wine at mass: body, blood, soul and divinity.

Also, as we receive our Lord in Holy Communion during the upcoming weeks, let us pray for those effected by the Coronavirus, whether physically, emotionally, or financially, that there may be complete healing and that they may have the peace that can only come from our Lord.

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