Introduction to the Liturgy of the Day

Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word

Reflections

• When we hear in the first reading that Moses sprinkled animal blood on the people, we recoil. None of us would want to be a part of that ancient practice, even if we’re not wearing our Sunday best. But this is the tradition that Jesus and all his disciples know. Blood was regarded as the life force. It animated a covenant, actively binding the parties, which in this case were God and the people. When Jesus gives them the cup and says, “this is my blood of the covenant,” they know what he’s alluding to (Mark 14:24). But this is not the same kind of blood that Moses used. This he says is his own blood, shed for many. He is the one who is sacrificed and it is his blood that animates a new covenant between God and us. This cup of eternal salvation binds us to new life.

• Jesus and the disciples came together that night to celebrate the Passover, that feast of passing over from captivity to freedom, from death to life, from condemnation to salvation. Christ, the new Passover, transformed the meal to lead them and us to a new freedom, freedom from the condemnation of sin; a new life, a life of the Resurrection; and a new salvation, the eternal salvation of the kingdom of God. Gathered today to celebrate that meal yet again, our faith informs us that Jesus is present, the eternal sacrifice, body broken and blood poured out, transforming us anew.

• Change is difficult.  Difficult for us humans.   When we try to make a transformation in the way we are, the way we act, or the way we feel, no matter how much we want to, it can be tough to achieve lasting change. We are reminded of this every New Year’s. Our power, even over our own selves, has its limits, like it or not. Last week, we heard Jesus tell his disciples, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). Indeed it has, for today we see Jesus transform a loaf of unleavened bread into his body and a cup of wine into his very blood. And not just in the Gospel, for we also witness that power, come among us through the Holy Spirit and expressed by the presider, acting in the person of Christ the high priest, in the Eucharist today. For God, change is not difficult. For God, all transformation is possible. With God, we can be transformed.

Question of the Week

How does the Eucharist transform me? Thinking back to a time when it was not possible for me to receive the Eucharist, for instance during the pandemic, how did its absence affect me?

-from Pastoral Patterns

LISTEN HERE to the Audio Recordings of the Readings of Sunday, June 2, 2024

SELECT HERE for the Readings of Sunday, June 2, 2024

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