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Sunday, June 1, 1997

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Body & Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)


Exodus 24:3-8
Psalm 116
Hebrews 9:11-15
Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

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receiving god in communion

"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." —Psalm 116:12-13

When we receive Holy Communion, we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, God Himself. Although we appear to be receiving bread and wine, we are actually receiving Christ's body and blood. We know this because Jesus proclaimed at the Last Supper: "This is My body. This is My blood. Do this in memory of Me" (see Mk 14:22, 24; see also Lk 22:19). The Church, which is the pillar and bulwark of truth because it was founded by Jesus (1 Tm 3:15), affirms that every Mass is the continuation of the Last Supper.

Because Jesus is really present in Holy Communion, we must center our lives on receiving Him in Communion and on worshipping Him in the Eucharist. We try to receive Him every day of our lives. Our lives are a constant preparation for and response to Mass. All our relationships and activities are taken up into the Eucharist. We live to receive Him and give Him to others. We expect to die as we have lived, receiving Him in Holy Communion: Viaticum, our last Communion on this earth.

This book, One Bread, One Body, has as its purpose to teach on the daily Mass Scriptures to draw many to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. We pray that these teachings help you in your eucharistic love and life.

Prayer:  "Sweet Sacrament, we Thee adore, O, make us love Thee more and more. O, make us love Thee more and more."

Promise:  "This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words of His." —Ex 24:8

Praise:  "O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine."

Reference:  (For related teaching, order our booklet, This Is My Body.)

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, November 12, 1996


Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 10, 1996