BE PREPARED TO RECEIVE HIS BODY AND BLOOD.

THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST.
June 18, 2006.
(First reading: Exodus 24:3-8) (Psalm 116:12-18)
(Second reading: Hebrews 9:11-15) (Gospel: Mark 14:12-16, 22-26)

BE PREPARED TO RECEIVE
HIS BODY AND BLOOD.

When God takes on human flesh our faith becomes the adherence to a person with body and blood, the physical elements which are common to all human beings.

Having the same body and blood as Jesus, does make us one with him, does bring us into intimate communion with him.

Today's Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is a celebration of God's gift of himself to all human beings, and, at the same time, a celebration of our commitment to be worthy recipients of such gift.

God's gift and man's commitment are as real as the life we receive at the time of conception and as our commitment to maintain said life.

Just as our biological parents prepare the way for us to develop our body and blood, so does God prepare the way for us to become one with him by sharing in his Body and Blood. And, just as we cooperate with our parents by protecting the life we have received from them, so, we also cooperate with God by allowing him to be with us always through his Body and Blood.

The gospel speaks of the preparations which were necessary for our Lord Jesus to gather with his disciples in that upper room so that he may formally give us his Body and Blood.

The upper room - says Mark - was "furnished and ready", but it was necessary that the disciples "make the preparations there", and so they did.

Now, since God has given humanity the "upper room" of the world (the entire world, in fact) for us to live in it, are we willing to make the preparations to live in unity with one another and with God? Are we willing to care for human life in all its stages? Are we willing to stop wars and aggression? Are we ready to cease dispossessing our fellow human beings? Are we willing to cooperate with God in bringing about peace and justice and compassion to our suffering humanity?

The preparations that we must undertake in order to prepare "the upper room" (the world) for the Lord to give us his Body and Blood, are, therefore, monumental.

Any one who truly wishes to eat the Body and drink the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ must necessarily prepare himself to bring about justice and peace and compassion and unity to all the human race.

When we achieve unity and compassion, peace and justice in our world, then we can rest assured that we have prepared the "upper room" (our world) where Jesus gives us his Body and Blood.