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Gospel Reading for June 22, 2025 – Luke 9: 11b-17
VERY ESSENTIAL
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)
Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured. As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, “Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.” He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.” They replied, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.” Now the men there numbered about five thousand. Then he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty.” They did so and made them all sit down. Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.
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Eating and drinking are very essential if we are to sustain life. When plants are not watered, they are bound to die. When animals are not fed, they are bound to die. When there is famine, so many people die. As a matter of fact, if your very old and still healthy grandmother stops eating, you know that death will soon knock at the door. Perhaps, this is the reason why Jesus chose to give himself to us in the form of bread and wine. HE IS VERY ESSENTIAL if we are to sustain our spiritual life. We cannot separate our body from our spirit if we are to continue living. Hence, physical and spiritual have to both be sustained.
This is our very thoughtful God. The mission of salvation was planned and executed perfectly, from Abraham up to Jesus, even after he went back to the Father. How blessed are we, that by the power of his Spirit, we are able to receive him in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist to make us experience peace in the midst of a chaotic world. It is not one way though. As they say, “we are what we eat.” Therefore, when we partake of the body of Christ, we are expected to become like Jesus to others.
Let us ponder on this very old Eucharistic Hymn written by Turton and Monk, LORD, WHO AT THY FIRST EUCHARIST –
Lord, who at thy first Eucharist didst pray
that all thy Church might be forever one.
Grant us at ev’ry Eucharist to say
with longing heart and soul, “Thy will be done.”
May we one bread, one body be,
through this blest sacrament of unity.
For all Thy Church, O Lord, we intercede;
Make Thou our sad divisions soon to cease;
Draw us the nearer each to each, we plead,
by drawing all to Thee, O Prince of Peace;
May we one bread, one body be,
through this blest sacrament of unity.
We pray Thee too for wand’rers from Thy fold;
O bring them back, good Shepherd of the sheep,
back to the faith which saints believed of old,
back to the Church which still that faith doth keep;
May we one bread, one body be,
through this blest sacrament of unity.
So, Lord, at length when sacraments shall cease,
may we be one with all Thy Church above,
one with Thy saints in one unbroken peace,
one with Thy saints in one unbounded love;
More blessèd still, in peace and love to be
One with the Trinity in unity.
