by Fr. Ed Liptak, SDB

Earlier this month the Church at large celebrated the Solemnity of Corpus Christi Year A. This Sunday is the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time. However, the Solemn Mass we use at the close of this month to mark 125 Years of Service to God’s people at our Parish is that of the Body and Blood of Christ,  Corpus Christi Year B.

Sunday A concentrated on the meaning of ‘Bread from Heaven,’ the Host—that it is truly the Body of Christ offered for our Salvation. This Sunday B concentrates on the ‘cup that we drink,’ that it is the true Blood of Christ offered in sacrifice. Thus, in the Old Testament reading from Deuteronomy, Moses offered sacrifices to God and the blood was kept in basins to be sprinkled on the mountain of God and on the people to seal their covenant with God. They had proclaimed,  “Whatever he asks of us that we will do.” Jesus consecrated the wine at the Last Supper and called it his blood of “the new and everlasting covenant.”

The letter to the Hebrews refers to the supreme value of the Blood of Christ offered in sacrifice. If the blood of animals was once used to sanctify defiled human beings in an ancient era, “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God?” (Heb 9:11-15). At each Mass Jesus offers Himself in prayer as a repeated offering to the Father for our sake. Our prayer is to be like Him.

Mark’s Gospel joins the Last Supper to the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb whose blood was the great sign of deliverance. That evening they all went to the Upper Room where Jesus, oddly, had told them to prepare the Passover meal. Mark described the betrayal. Then while they were eating, rapidly he told of Jesus blessing the bread and saying, “Take it. It is my body.” Giving thanks over the chalice, He said, “This is my blood of the covenant which will be shed for many” The first Mass was over. Our Holy Sacrifice of the Mass continues.