Mk 14:12-16, 22-26
12On 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?” 13He 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. 14Wherever
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?” ’ 15Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.” 16The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
22While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” 23Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. 25Amen, 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.” 26Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Reflection:
Take it; this is my body… This is my blood.
The Passover includes the partaking of unleavened bread and bitter
herbs and the drinking of red wine. The celebration commemorates the
exodus or liberation of the Israelites from the slavery of Egypt. The
unleavened bread recalls the manna given and eaten during their sojourn
in the desert.
The bitter herbs are a remembrance of their hardships and
sufferings during their slavery and exile. And red wine is in memory of
their crossing of the Red Sea.
At the Last Supper, however, Jesus eats
the Passover with his disciples in view of his passion, death, and
resurrection. The bread is now Jesus’ body broken and given to the
disciples and to humankind: “Take it; this is my body.” The red wine is
now Jesus’ blood poured out for the redemption of the world: “This is my
blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.”
We celebrate today the Solemnity of the
Body and Blood of Christ. At Mass, the bread and wine are substantially
changed by the power of the Spirit into the Body and Blood of Christ.
When we celebrate the Eucharist, we are
encountering and experiencing Jesus himself. “Christ has given us this
memorial of his passion to bring us its saving power until the end of
time” (Preface, Holy Eucharist II). At the end of the celebration of the
Eucharist, we are sent out to bring to others what we have received, to
share Jesus with others, to be Jesus to the world around us.
“As we eat his body which he gave for us, we grow in strength.As we drink his blood which he poured out for us,we are washed clean” (Preface, Holy Eucharist I).
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