Note: These Sunday & Holy Day Gospel Reflections are written so that mothers may prepare for Holy Mass in advance either as a small group or individually (especially since we are so often necessarily distracted during Mass itself).
*sorry this didn't get posted before yesterday; not sure what happened
Mark 14:12-16, 22-26
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.
Reflection
What a sacred, holy day! What a blessed gift! The Lord comes to us in the Eucharist. He knows we are weak. He knows we need Him. He allows us to take His Body and Blood into our very bodies, so we will receive His grace and know He is with us always.
The (optional) sequence for this solemnity to be read or sung in Mass before the Gospel is pure beauty! I pray it was/will be read in your liturgy, because such gifts from the Church to her people are so essential to holding the Eucharist dear and sacred. It was written by St. Thomas Aquinas, and his eloquence is unparalleled.
Unfortunately, much of what should be sacred these days has become ordinary. I am in awe at the opportunity, we as Catholics have, to retain the sacred nature of the Mass through the Real Presence. This Sunday should be a day to thoughtfully recommit ourselves to preserving the holy worth of the Eucharist.
Do we attend Sunday Mass in a spirit of awe? Do we allow daily Mass to become mere habit? Do we remind our children the importance of the Eucharist and teach them at a very young age to recognize Jesus in the Eucharist at Mass and in the tabernacle? Do we remember that the Real Presence is one of the defining beliefs of our Catholic faith and not shy away from telling others of our great devotion to this awesome gift?
Lord, help us to hold sacred the Mass and the Eucharist. Let us never stop by our parish without stopping in to see you. Let us always go out of our way to be with you in the Eucharist. Bless us with the grace of true devotion to Your Most Holy Body and Blood this day and always.
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