Reflections on Scripture
Reflections on The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ - June 19, 2022
‘You are a priest for ever’
This year, for Corpus Christi, we are given texts which emphasise the priesthood and our sharing in it. The First Reading tells us of Melchizedek, the priest-king of Jerusalem
He brings an offering of bread and wine, sharing it with Abraham, and blessing him.
The Psalm also mentions Melchizedek, calling him priest and prince. He prefigures Christ, who offers the supreme sacrifice of his body and blood under the forms of bread and wine.
St Paul, in the 2nd Reading, gives us an account of the institution of the Eucharist that he himself has received. The Gospel is the narrative of the feeding of the five thousand with a few loaves & fishes. In the Eucharist, the transformation of the bread & wine is through the same power of Jesus working thru ordained ministers & others.
This week let us ponder on the Eucharist not only as Christ’s action in the past, but also as a present & ever-new event in our own daily lives and actions.
Reflections on The Ascension of the Lord, Thursday 26th May 2022
‘I am with you always!’
As Christ ascends to heaven, he commissions us to be his living message of hope, love, and compassion in a world crying out for healing. Christ is the head of the Church and we are the body, filled with his wisdom and power to transform all creation (Second Reading – Ephesians 1:17-23).
We are not left to struggle on our own. The risen Christ fills us with his Holy Spirit so that we who believe are his witnesses to the ends of the earth (First Reading – Acts 1:1-11).
Jesus’s disciples do not dwell on their loss at his departing from their sight, but are instead full of joy at the realisation that he is now with them forever (Gospel – Luke 24:46-53).
The Psalm (Ps 47), using words, songs and actions of joy and exultation, brings us to the heart of the event we celebrate today.
https://mailchi.mp/jesuit/resting-in-the-arms-of-christ?e=54d2aa9d2d
“Knowing Who We Are”
Bishop Barron comments the profound passage from 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 as a passage that summarizes the entirety of Christianity. St. Paul’s powerful conversion experience led to his conformity of his entire self to a life in Christ. Let us reflect on how Christ is calling all of us into a new way of thinking. Listen to his homily here.