MOST PRECIOUS BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUSOur hearts are like: clear water or dirty water!Leviticus 8:2-3, 14-16
1 Corinthians 10:16-17
John 6:51-58
My Dear people of God happy feast of Body and blood of Christ to all.
Friends why do we celebrate the most holy body and blood of Jesus?
01. It is outcome of Christ’s love towards humanity
From the time God created the universe he starts loving his creation. God follows so many methods to exhibit his love towards humanity. For example in the beginning of the creation God created everything by his words like; ‘let there be light’, ‘let there be earth’ etc but to create human being he created them with image and likeness of him. Also God breathed into the nostrils of man the breath of life thus humans have received their lives. And again when they disobeyed and turn against the Lord he did not kill them rather He gave them a chance to repent for their sins.
In the same way when the Israelites too turned against the Lord out of his love he freed them from slavery and from time to time through kings, prophets he guided them. Finally He sends his only son into the world because of his love towards humanity. When son came into the world his desire was to be with humanity till the end of the world. So to remain with the people Jesus instituted the Eucharist and promised us that he will be with us till the end of the world. So every Eucharistic celebration reveals His love towards humanity.
02. It is the desire of Jesus
Today every person has different kinds of desires in their lives. What is your desire? Do you know the desire of Jesus?
In the gospel of Luke 22:15 we read that Jesus said to the disciples “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer”. So dear friends the celebration of holy Eucharist is the desire of Jesus. Whenever we celebrate or whenever you partake in the Eucharist you fulfil the desire of Jesus.
03. It is a remembrance of Jesus
In every Eucharist we remember the great works of God towards humanity. For example the Israelites celebrated Passover as a sign of remembrance of God’s great work in the time of their difficulties. In the New Testament Jesus asked the disciples to celebrate the Eucharist as a sign of his remembrance. “Jesus took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me”. Thus in every Eucharist we remember God’s great work towards humanity.
04. It is a new covenant of Christ’s blood
In the Old testament God has made so many covenants with the people of Israel. In the old covenant the lamb’s blood was a sign of the covenant. Ex 24:8 “So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.” In the New Testament Christ made a covenant with his own blood. Lk 22:20 “this cup is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood”. Hence every Eucharist becomes sign of Christ covenant with the people.
05. It is renewal of God’s covenant
Friends when the world will come to an end? There were people saying in the year 2000 the world is going to end but it does not happen. And some others have said in 2002 the world will be destroyed but even then it does not happen. Latter people were claiming the year 2012 the world will be destroyed it also became failure. Now I ask you when the world will be destroyed. Dear friends according to my Knowledge I assure you that the world will not be destroyed in our time. Because God has made a covenant in such a way that his blessings will continue thousands of years.
In the book of Exodus 20:1-6 we read that then God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing loving kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments”. That’s to say God shows his loving kindness towards 1000 generations for all those people who love and keep his commandments.
When we turn the history there are so many people loved God and kept the commandments so God’s mercy and kindness continues even today. In the same way if you and I love god and keep observe his commandments surely 1000 years world will not be destroyed. Because God wants us to live not to die. Even in today’s gospel we read that “I am the bread of life. “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. “This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. “I am the living bread that Came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live Forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” so dear friends God has made covenant with us and this covenant is renewed in every Eucharist.
How do we receive the Holy Eucharist?
When God appeared in the bush Moses was frightened to go near to him because he felt he is a sinner and unworthy. Also God asked him in Ex 3: 5 “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” Today knowing the presence of God in the Eucharist how do we receive it? Our catechism too teaches us that the faithful must receive the holy Eucharist without a mortal sin. Today people receive the Eucharist with sinful lives, after smoking, drinking, mouth full of dirt, hands which refused to help the needy. People partake in the holy Eucharist as if they buy sweets in the shop.
St. Paul in his first letter to Corinthians he says that “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves” 1 Cor 11:26-29.
Dear friends, does God exists in this world or not?
There was a man namely Mr. Kumar. He was a rich man. One day he went for hairdressing. The hairdresser began to cut his hair. Meanwhile the hair dresser asked Mr. Kumar does God exist or not? Kumar replied oh! Yes surely God exists in this world. But the hairdresser told him that God does not exist in the world. Because if he exists surely there won’t be sufferings, pain, hunger death, etc. after few seconds there was a beggar with dirty cloths and long hair crossed the shop. Mr. Kumar said there are no hairdressers in the world. Immediately he got angry and said how you can say like this sitting in the shop. Mr. Kumar showed the beggar to the hairdresser and said yes if there are hairdressers in the world surely there will be no beggars like this having long dirty hair. Now the hairdresser said in the world there are many hairdressers this poor beggar does not know them. Moreover if he wants to cut his hair he has to come to the shop. Now Mr. Kumar said to him in the same way God also exists in the world. But you do not know him. If you want to know God you must go to him. The hairdresser understood the meaning and felt sorry for not knowing the presence of God. After few seconds again the hairdresser asked him if you believe in God then does your God is big or small?
Kumar said to him my God is so big because, He is the creator of the whole universe. At the same time my God is very small because though He is a creator of the world yet he humbled himself in the form of bread. And every day He comes into my heart to stay with me. Yes dear friends this is the teaching of our mother church. The presence God exists sacramentally in the form of a Eucharist. Hence Eucharist is the root of Christian life. If there is no Eucharist there is no Christ and Christianity. So, the presence of Holy Eucharist expresses to the world that God is fully alive and exists. To affirm this sacramental presence of God today we celebrate the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus.
Dear friends our mother church teaches us the real presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Do you believe with all your heart?
St. Anthony of Padua is one of the world's most beloved Saints whose feast we celebrated last week. During his life time St. Anthony's encounter with a Jewish man namely Rimini. This man contested the "Real Presence of the Eucharist; so one day he approached St. Anthony publicly and after spelling out all of his reasons for not believing in such a "fable" as the Real Presence, he challenged Anthony to a contest. He bet that the Real Presence was a lie, and he proposed to "starve a donkey" for three days---no hay, and see if the donkey would choose to eat hay or preferred the Eucharist. St. Anthony, being publicly "put on the spot" accepted the challenge. So the wealthy merchant brought out his donkey, publicly hitched him to a post where he could be observed by all; and proceeding to "starve the donkey" for three days. Simultaneously, St. Anthony went into the forest and "fasted" for three days---taking no food.
When the day of trial came, Anthony emerged from the forest and sought out a local Church where he took the Eucharist and returned to the spot where the donkey was tied. Meanwhile, the challenger had placed a large pile of hay about 20 feet away from the donkey. Anthony took out the Eucharist holding it in his hands; the merchant untied the donkey, who needless to say, made a "beeline" for the pile of hay. Just as the donkey was about to reach the hay, St. Anthony elevated the Eucharist and shouted in a loud voice: "Mule, in the Name of the Lord Our God, I command you to come here and adore your Creator! » The donkey "reared up" on his hind legs as if someone had pulled him by a bridle; he spun around, and ran to St. Anthony, dropping to his forelegs--- hind legs still extended; and put his head down to the ground---in a "posture of adoration" before the Eucharist which St. Anthony continued to hold elevated. The Jewish merchant, stunned by what occurred begged St. Anthony's forgiveness, converted on the spot, and donated the money to build a new Catholic Church, his newfound faith. On the cornerstone of the Church, he had engraved a picture of St. Anthony holding the Eucharist aloft and the donkey, "kneeling on his forepaws" in adoration of the Body of Christ.
Dear friends St. Louis de Montfort once said that when you hear these miraculous stories about the saints; believe them. It's funny that nowadays, people find such things difficult to believe. We have become so sophisticated, so urban, so cosmopolitan. Yet, the world finds them difficult to believe, but to the faithful, it is not surprising that God does great things for those who truly follow Him.
My dear brethren if you accept the real presence of Christ is in the Eucharist when you receive it during the Mass who enters in your heart Jesus Christ? or Satan? Really Jesus enters… Do you have bible with you could you read the verses John 13: 26-27 we read that “when Jesus had dipped the piece bread and He gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him”. From the gospel text we understand that though Jesus was a son of God, He only blessed the piece of bread, and He himself took the bread and gave to Judas Satan entered? How?
When Jesus himself gave the bread Satan entered but now the priest and sisters are giving who will enter into your heart? Satan? or Jesus?
Rain water is good or dirty? Good. Now you take two glasses in one glass you take little good water and the other glass take some drainage water. Keep it in the rain. When the rain falls in to good water glass it turns into good water again but the same rain water when it falls in to the drainage water it becomes drainage water. Though the water is good because of the dirt in the glass it makes rain water also dirt. In the same way when Jesus set the blessing over the bread it was blessed but since Judas resembled as drainage water Satan entered into him. Today when you receive the same Eucharist in the hands of priest who will be entering into your hearts? Satan or Jesus? You resemble like good water or drainage water?
So dear friends we understand that whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. Also they bring judgments and condemnation against themselves.
Today all those people who partake in the Most Precious Body and Blood of Jesus let us examine ourselves.
The Most Precious Body and Blood of Jesus is blessing to all of us.
In a special way we pray for all the priests as they are anointed by Christ and representative of God to the people. May they continue to be the source of blessings and instrument of God to break the Body and blood of Christ and to draw faithful towards Christ.
May God bless us all.
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