General. Today’s liturgy is in remembrance of the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ in a more solemn manner than we could have done on Maundy Thursday when this memorial originated and when there was greater emphasis on the Passion and Death through which Jesus had to pass. The Sequence preceding the Gospel story reminds us that in this meal we call the Eucharist, we should uplift our praise to the King who gave us His Body as life-giving bread.

Deuteronomy. Bread of life was fed to the wandering Jews in the desert in the form of manna. Yet God takes out His people into the desert to test them and see what’s really in their heart and whether they are prepared to abide by what He bids them to do. When God belittles us even by the crosses He sends us, this is a full test for us to see what really lies in our hearts.

First Epistle to the Corinthians. The bread and wine, being the Body and Blood of Our Lord, brings about union with Him and among us. The Church is the union of those who believe in Christ and live his life hidden in the love of the Father.

St John. Jesus speaks out clearly on the effect which the Bread of life, coming down from heaven, has on our lives. The Word is the living bread which keeps fresh and renewed for each one of us every day according to our disposition of listeneing to the Word of God and applying it to our lives. Eating from this divine bread gives life everlasting and oneness between us, with Jesus Christ himself and with the Father.

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