The Bread of Life

 

  Mk 14:12-16, 22-26

 The Last Supper

¹² On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

¹³ So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. ¹⁴ Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ ¹⁵ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”

¹⁶ The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

²² While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”

²³ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

²⁴ “This is my blood of the^[ covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. ²⁵ “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

²⁶ When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

The Church dedicates this day to highlight the great Gift of the Holy Eucharist, the Body ad Blood of Jesus, the Food that sustains us on our journey through the ups and downs of life to the Eternal Banquet in the life to come.  The journey is an arduous one, one might say "impossible" without help from Jesus. He returned to the right hand of the Father, but left us this GIFT which feeds us and fills us with all that we need to complete the trek to Paradise. There will be processions, hymns and joyful celebrations around the world to give thanks for this gift and honor the GIVER. Africans will elaborately decorate the dirt path on which hundreds of parishioners will trod singing and dancing in procession as the priest carries the Holy Eucharist. Young boys and girls will  climb trees for a better view of this wonderful procession and all will be blessed at the conclusion by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.  A day of joy, for sure. How will I honor and give thanks for this great GIFT today?

Bro. Rene

Dear Jesus, thank you for the gift of your presence in the holy Eucharist. Deepen my love for you and help me to partake of the Bread of Life as often as I can. Amen.