Sunday Lectionary: Take. Eat.
Life continues to be a bit hectic so I’m afraid these notes will be rather brief again…
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ: June 10th, 2012
This Sunday is the feast of “Corpus Christi” (Latin for “Body of Christ”), a feast which came about during the 13th Century. Our First Reading describes the institution of the Yahweh’s covenant with Israel through the Patriarch Moses. While instituting the Eucharist in our Gospel Reading, Jesus speaks about a new covenant in His blood. In the Second Reading we hear more about this covenant, brought about through Christ, our great High Priest.
Every time we go to Mass we renew our covenant with the Lord. Let us approach the Eucharist this week mindful of this great covenant, purchased for us by the very blood of Christ.
In all He did from the Incarnation to the Cross, the end Jesus Christ had in mind was the gift of the Eucharist, his personal and corporal union with each Christian through Communion. He saw in It the means of communicating to us all the treasures of His Passion, all the virtues of His Sacred Humanity, and all the merits of His Life. -St. Peter Julian Eymard
Reading I: Exodus 24:3-8
The text for our First Reading comes just after the giving of the Ten Commandments, but before the incident with the Golden Calf. Through His servant, Moses, the Lord enters into covenant with His people, Israel.
When Moses came to the people and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD, they all answered with one voice, “We will do everything that the LORD has told us.” Moses then wrote down all the words of the LORD and, rising early the next day, he erected at the foot of the mountain an altar and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then, having sent certain young men of the Israelites to offer holocausts and sacrifice young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD, Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls; the other half he splashed on the altar. Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people, who answered, “All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do.” Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words of his.”
Questions:
- What is the context of this Reading? What has just happened? What will soon happen?
- What are the “words of the LORD” described here?
- What is the “mountain” described here?
- What does the “altar” represent? What about the “twelve pillars”?
- Why is sacrifice offered?
- What are “holocausts”? Why are “young bulls” killed? What is a “peace offering”?
- What does Moses do with the blood? What does this represent?
- What do the people say?
Commentary:
When Moses came to the people and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD, …
Moses relays to the people of Israel all that the Lord had said to him.
The Hebrew behind “words” is “dabar”, a technical term used to describe covenant stipulations in the ancient Near East.
The “words” probably refer to the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-21) and the “ordinances” probably refer to the stipulations in the Book of the Covenant (Exodus 21:1-23:19)
…they all answered with one voice, “We will do everything that the LORD has told us.”
The people affirm that they will uphold their end of the bargain and fulfill the requirements of the covenant.
However, shortly afterwards they will abandon God and worship the Golden Calf….
Moses then wrote down all the words of the LORD…
The Word of God is now committed to writing.
…and, rising early the next day, …
I can’t read this without recalling that in the Early Church celebrated the Eucharist at sunrise.
…he erected at the foot of the mountain an altar and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
Moses assembles an altar and twelve pillars. This idea is found elsewhere in Scripture:
…and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites… – Joshua 4:5
And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. – 1 Kings 18:31
Moses had setup a liturgical context in which God will confirm His covenant.
Then, having sent certain young men of the Israelites to offer holocausts and sacrifice young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD, …
Sacrifice is offered to God. Before the priesthood of Aaron was established the priestly functions were performed by the elders or young men.
A “holocaust” is a sacrifice which is completely offered to God through burning. We might see this spiritually as Israel offering of herself totally to God.
A “peace offering” is sometimes known as a “fellowship offering” and is a particular kind of sacrifice found in Leviticus 3:1-5. Spiritually we might see this as symbolic of the covenant, that Israel is being brought back into right relationship with God.
…Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls; …
The blood is collected and divided into two.
…the other half he splashed on the altar.
Half the blood is splashed on the altar, declaring that God will keep His side of the covenant. The remaining blood will be dealt with shortly.
Taking the book of the covenant, …
This is most likely the contents of Exodus 20:22-23:19, but probably also implies Exodus 20:2-17 and Exodus 23:20-33.
A “covenant” is more than simply a contract. A covenant is a solemn agreement which builds kinship bonds and forms family.
…he read it aloud to the people, who answered, “All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do.”
Moses declares the Word and the people declare their fidelity.
Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, …
Blood is sprinkled upon the people, declaring that they will keep their side of the covenant.
…saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words of his.”
Moses’ words here should be extremely familiar to Catholics as they are the words of Christ at the Last Supper and the same words we hear at every Mass: “This is the blood of the covenant…”.
In fact, when you look at this Reading, doesn’t it bear many similarities with Mass? The word is proclaimed, an affirmation of faith is made, a sacrifice is made and blood is shared…
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16, 17-18
The psalm this week is a song of thanksgiving and contains beautiful Eucharistic imagery.
R. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones. I am your servant, the son of your handmaid; you have loosed my bonds.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the LORD. My vows to the LORD I will pay in the presence of all his people.
Questions:
- What allusions to the Eucharist do you see in this psalm?
- What would the “cup of salvation” originally have referred to? To what does it point?
Commentary:
R. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
In its original context this “cup of salvation” would have referred to either the Passover cup or the cup of the “Thank Offering” (Leviticus 7:11-21).
The fulfillment of this verse is, of course, the cup of the Eucharist at the Last Supper.
How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
The truth is that we really can’t repay the Lord. What we can do, however, is respond in love to His goodness.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.
Because the Lord sees my life as precious, I will praise him.
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid; you have loosed my bonds.
This would have initially referred to the psalmist, but points to Christ, the son of “the handmaid of the Lord” (Luke 1:38) offers himself in sacrifice on the cross.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the LORD. My vows to the LORD I will pay in the presence of all his people.
This is what takes place at the Last Supper when Jesus takes the Passover cup and “gave thanks”, the Greek word for it is, “eucharisteo”, from which we get the word “Eucharist”.
The “vows” mentioned here to here refers to the promises to praise the Lord.
Reading II: Hebrews 9:11-15
It has been suggested that the book of Hebrews was written for Jerusalem priests who had converted to Christianity. Its central focus is that of Christ our the priesthood of Christ and the New Covenant He won for us.
Brothers and sisters: When Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation, he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer’s ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God.
For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant: since a death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.
Questions:
- How is Jesus described?
- What is the “tabernacle” that Christ passes through?
- There are two kinds of “blood” compared. What are they? How do they compare?
- What is obtained through Christ entering into the heavenly sanctuary with His blood?
- Who is the “mediator of a new covenant”? Why?
Commentary:
Brothers and sisters: When Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, …
Christ is seen as the “high priest”. In the Catholic Church there is only one priest, Christ. All our priests simply share in His priesthood.
Even now also that Christ is close to us; He who prepared that table, Himself also consecrates it. For it is not man who makes the offerings to be the Body and Blood of Christ, but Christ who was crucified for us. The words are spoken by the mouth of the Priest, and are consecrated by the power and the grace of God. – St. John Chrysostom
…passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation, he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.
The “goats and calves” refers to two different liturgical events:
1. The ratification of the covenant with Moses on Sinai when “young calves” were sacrificed (Exodus 24:5).
2. The renewal of the covenant on the Day of Atonement when a goat would be sacrificed (Leviticus 16:15). The High Priest entered into the Jerusalem Temple’s the Most Holy Place every a year after this sacrifice.
In contrast, Christ entered “once for all” the heavenly sanctuary with His own blood. His sacrifice was perfect and did not need to be repeated.
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer’s ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, …
The sprinkling of a red heifer’s ashes was required by Numbers 19:1-13 for the ceremonial cleansing of those who had come into contact with a corpse. This cleansing was external only and did not wash away sin.
…how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God.
The author compares this purification with heifer ashes to the blood of Christ, noting how superior it is.
It is noted that Christ “offered himself”, indicating that this was a sacrifice. Christ was the perfect offering as he was “unblemished” through and through. This offering removes sin (“cleanse our consciences from dead works”) and gives supernatural life (“to worship the living God”).
For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant: since a death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.
Jesus is the mediator of this new and superior covenant.
By the death of Christ we are delivered from our sins, from the consequences of the violation of the Law and allows us to receive the promises of God:
“The time is coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt… I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people…I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more” – Jeremiah 31:31-34
Gospel: Mark 14:12-16, 22-26
This Gospel Reading should be familiar to us as we hear a portion of it at every Mass. It takes place on Holy Thursday, the night Jesus was betrayed.
On the first day of the Feast of 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 I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”‘ Then he will show you 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 had 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 kingdom of God.” Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Questions:
- What is the “Feast of Unleavened Bread”?
- What is the “Passover lamb”? To what does this refer?
- What might be the significance of the first portion of this Gospel Reading where Jesus tells them about where they will celebrate the Passover?
- What might be the symbolism of the man carrying the water?
- In what context does the Eucharist take place?
- What word does Jesus use for the first time in this passage?
Commentary:
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, …
The Last Supper takes place at the Passover Festival, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The date is therefore 14th Nisan. The feast commemorated the salvation of the Israelites from Egypt in the time of Moses.
Christ is the new Passover lamb and the Eucharist is the fulfillment of the “Unleavened Bread”.
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 I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”‘ Then he will show you 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 had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
Jesus demonstrates supernatural knowledge over coming events. God had even been preparing this Passover in the days of Moses. Of course, Jesus knows what is going to happen even beyond the meal – He knows the Passion awaits
And it is a proof of the presence of His divinity, that in speaking with His disciples, He knows what is to take place elsewhere – St. Bede
He sends two of His disciples…to a man unknown to Him, implying by this that He might, if He had pleased, have avoided His Passion – Theophyl
The “two…disciples” were Peter and John (Luke 22:8). The “preparations” to be made would have included preparation of the food: unleavened bread, wine, bitter herbs, sauce and lamb.
The sight of “a man…carrying a jar of water” would have been unusual as this was typically done by women. We may see a spiritual meaning in the “jar of water”, a symbol of the baptism which is necessary prior to the receiving of the Eucharist.
He who is baptized carries the pitcher of water, and he who bears baptism upon him comes to his rest, if he lives according to his reason; and he obtains rest, as being in the house. Wherefore it is added, Follow him. – Theophyl
While they were eating, …
The Eucharist took place as part of a larger meal.
…he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.”
Jesus now transforms the Passover into something new…
When the rites of the old Passover were finished, He passed to the new, in order, that is, to substitute the Sacrament of His own Body and Blood, for the flesh and blood of the lamb. Wherefore there follows: “And as they did eat, Jesus took bread”; that is, in order to show that He Himself is that person to whom the Lord swore, “You are a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec”. There follows: And blessed, and broke it. – St. Bede
It was this passage which caused the great argument between Luther and Zwingli, fathers of the Reformation. Luther (holding to a version of the Real Presence) affirmed that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, whereas Zwingli asserted that Jesus was only symbolically present in the Eucharist.
In this text we find the same sequence found in the feeding of the multitude (Mark 6:41): “took…bless[ed]…broke…gave”.
Jesus’ actions signify the mystery of his Passion. In breaking the bread, Christ pre-enacts the breaking of his body on the Cross, likewise as Jesus gives himself voluntarily in the Last Supper, so his Crucifxion will be a death he freely accepts, not the end result of hostile forces beyond his control. – St. Bede, In Marcum
The Eucharist is a pledge and sign of heavenly glory. While the sacrament is a true communion with Christ in the present, it points also to our perfect communion with him in eternity. In heaven, the sacraments will give way to the saints’ direct and unmediated union with the Trinity – St. Thomas Aquinas, Office of the Adorable Sacrament
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…
Jesus repeats the formula with the cup. He then uses a word “covenant”, a word which we do not find mentioned elsewhere in Jesus’ ministry. His use of this word would have certainly have caught the Apostle’s attention.
The Old Covenant was sealed through the blood, as is the New Covenant.
This blood is shed “for many”, which is a Semitic idiom which indicates a great number without restriction.
“…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 kingdom of God.”
Whenever Jesus says “Amen”, He’s about to say something important…
As if He had said, “I will not drink wine until the resurrection“; for He calls His resurrection the kingdom, as He then reigned over death. But after His resurrection He ate and drank with His disciples, showing that it was He Himself who had suffered. But He drank it new, that is, in a new and strange manner, for He had not a body subject to suffering, and requiring food, but immortal and incorruptible. – Theophyl
Scott Hahn has some very interesting thoughts on this in his talk The Four Cups.
Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
The Hallel Psalms (Psalm 113-118) were sung in the Passover liturgy.