Readings: Ex. 24:3-8; Heb. 9:11-15; Mk 14:12-16, 22-26.
Examine Yourself before
you Eat the Bread and Drink the Cup
1. A will is a legal declaration of a
person’s wishes regarding the disposal of their property or estate after death.
With a legal will, we avoid tension, hatred, jealousy, and rivalry among
siblings and family members; therefore, it is a good practice for people to
make a will, notarize it, and have a lawyer witness it. The will can be
reviewed and updated from time to time. On the other hand, advance directives
are oral and written instructions about future medical decisions (for example,
when one is unconscious or too ill to communicate). Everyone should have
advanced medical directives and inform the medical team when one is admitted to
the hospital.
2. When we look at the institution of the
Holy Eucharist, it seems that Jesus Christ, who knew that his life on earth was
ending, communicated his wishes to his apostles. Today’s gospel detailed how
Jesus prepared his apostles for his death. “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.”
(Mk. 14:22-26). He told them, “Do this in memory of me.” (Lk.
22:19).
3. Dear friends, we gather here today to do
what Christ commanded: celebrate his love. We know how important it is to obey
and carry out the death wishes of our parents. The celebration of the Most Holy
Body and Blood of Christ reminds us that Christ is with us in the bread and
wine we offer in sacrifice to God to become his body and blood through
transubstantiation. The Eucharist is the food for our spirit and soul. “Amen,
amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his
Blood, you do not have life within you.” (Jn. 6:53). The shedding of
his blood on the cross sealed the covenant Christ made with us. Christ is the
sacrificial “Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.” (Jn
1:29). In the first reading, Moses sealed the covenant with the blood of an
animal, “Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying,
“This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord had made with you in
accordance with all these words of his.” (Ex.24:8). The sacrifice of
Moses prefigured Christ’s sacrifice of the new covenant sealed by his blood. He
died so that we may have life. He left us a memorial of his passion and death
and urged us to eat his body and drink his blood. “Whoever eats my flesh
and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For
my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and
drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” (Jn. 6:54-56).
4. Christ prepared a meal for us, but we
sometimes prefer to be on a diet. By not receiving the Eucharist, we
demonstrate how ungrateful we are to Christ, who loves us dearly. What would
prevent us from partaking in the Eucharist? Could it be sins? Confession is
available to those not in a state of grace. Christ is ready to forgive and
reconcile us to God and one another. Therefore, St. Paul tells us to examine
ourselves before approaching the Lord in the Eucharist. It is a sacrilege to
receive the Body and Blood of Christ in a state of mortal sin. Paul was
emphatic when he said, “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the
cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the
Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread, and drink the cup.
For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks
judgment on himself.” (1Cor. 11:27-29).
5. We examine ourselves by praying and preparing to receive the Lord in the Eucharist. We should come to Church on time, examine our conscience, and be ready to receive the Lord Jesus. We must participate conscientiously at Mass. Going through the readings beforehand puts us in spiritual readiness for the Eucharist. Spend some time in prayer before and after the reception of Holy Communion. When you have communion with the Lord, remember to also have communion with your brothers and sisters. Forgive those who sinned against you if you want God to forgive your sins. At the end of Mass, we are dismissed to carry Christ to everyone we meet. Do not neglect people with low income and those who are in need. Schedule to spend some time with the Lord before the Blessed Sacrament on Wednesdays from 9:30 am to 12:00 noon. Christ is truly present in the Eucharist. May he who waits for us give us the grace to love him in return, now and always. Amen.
Rev. Augustine
Etemma Inwang, MSP.
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