Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ By Tobe Eze

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

FIRST READING
Deuteronomy 8:2—3, 14b—16a

SECOND READING
1 Corinthians 10:16—17

GOSPEL
John 6:51—58

OFFER AND ACCEPTANCE WITHOUT CONSIDERATION.

The love of God towards us is unquantifiable. God loves us so much that, a night before his death he instituted the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders. He instituted the Holy Eucharist and to allow us to partake of it even when he is not with us physically, he asked his apostles to do it in memory of him (Luke 19:22). In the second reading of today St. Paul is making it clearer to us that the bread we break and the cup we bless are body and blood of Christ. During last supper, he said to his apostles, take this all of you and eat it for this is my body which will be given up for you and when supper was ended, he took the cup and blessed it gave it to his apostles saying take this and drink from it for this is my blood, the blood of the new covenant and everlasting covenant, for the forgiveness of sins of many. Do this in memory of me. In today’s gospel, Jesus is telling us that we can only see life in him. He is the only life that we can embrace and we will be sure of everlasting life. Onye obuna riri ma obu nuo obara mu ga enwe ndu maka na ahu bu ihe oriri ma obara mu bu ihe onunu. His flesh and are the best thing that will happen to us. Continue Reading

In law of contract, an offer and acceptance must be backed up with consideration. When A offers to sell something to B. B as the offeree should offer consideration to proof that he is ready for the contrast if not there is no contract.

Jesus on his own side as the offeror offered us his body and blood for our own sake we accepted without even offering and consideration and he still said it is binding. What a love? He gave everything free. On our own side, we should respect this body and blood of Christ for he is spiritually and bodily present in it. Prepare ourselves very well before receiving it. We should be in state if Grace before receiving the body and blood of Christ.

The hymn of the solemnity explains this mystery very well.

Of the glorious Body telling,

O my tongue, its mysteries sing,

And the Blood, all price excelling,

Which the world’s eternal King,

In a noble womb once dwelling,

Shed for this world’s ransoming

Word made Flesh, by word he maketh

Very bread his Flesh to be;

Man in wine Christ’s Blood partaketh:

And if senses fail to see,

Faith alone the true heart waketh

To behold the mystery.

Given for us, for us descending,

Of a Virgin to proceed,

Man with man in converse blending,

Scattered he the Gospel seed,

Till his sojourn drew to ending

Which he closed in wondrous deed.

At the last great Supper lying

Circled by his brethren’s band,

Meekly with the law complying,

First he finished its command,

Then, immortal Food supplying,

Gave himself with his own hand.

Humbly we, before him bending,

This great Sacrament revere;

Types and shadows have their ending,

For the newer rite is here;

Faith, our outward sense befriending,

Makes the inward vision clear.

Glory let us give, and blessing

To the Father and the Son;

Honour, might and praise addressing,

While eternal ages run;

Ever too his love confessing,

Who, from both, with both is one.