The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
VOCATION: Jesus Risen from the dead and Son of god gives Himself to us in Holy Communion with his Body and Blood... He reveals the Father to us, and fills us with the Holy Spirit, the Consoler....
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What are the offerings that we bring to God? What is the meaning of "HOSANNAH!" We acclaim God for his greatness and praise Him, while at the same time calling upon Him to rescue us in our distress.... "HOSANNAH!" MP3 version
“You are a priest forever, according to
the order of Melchizedek!”
My sisters! My brothers! What is your relationship with the Good God,
with God the Father? What is your relationship with Jesus? What has been your
experience of the Holy Spirit? What has been your experience of Holy Communion in
the Body and Blood of Christ?
For my part, I recall having been impressed by the image of Jesus in his manger near Mary
and Joseph when I was around 7 years old. Then the image of Jesus suffering on
the cross touched me a lot. At my confirmation, I was 8 years old, and I
remember feeling a presence next to me, but I did not yet know that it was the
Holy Spirit, the Defender.
The next day, when I confessed my sins for the first time, I felt the
love and forgiveness of God. On the third day, when I received Jesus in my
first Holy Communion, I felt a warmth of love in my child’s heart. All these
experiences were not yet conscious; I was only a little boy. I only became
aware of all these experiences 20 years later, while I was on a weekend retreat
for young adults, when the priest invited us to recall our experiences of God
and to reflect on them so that we might begin to understand their meaning.
“You are a priest forever, according to
the order of Melchizedek!”
So far, those were my early experiences of Jesus. Now, for God the Father, at 12 years old I
noticed that, at my age, one day Jesus remained alone in the Temple. When Mary
and Joseph found Him after 3 days, asking Him why He had caused them so much
worry, Jesus answered: “Did you
not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” Suddenly I became aware of God the Father and that He is also my
Father.
A year later, in my first
year of high school – at the time that was 8th grade – I was 13
years old, and they had us begin to pray a prayer to the Holy Spirit for
the beginning and success of Vatican Council II in Rome. It was September,
1962. That’s when I became aware of the Holy Spirit and I began to pray the
Holy Spirit more during the following years. You can see from these impressions
I’m sharing that God reveals Himself to us personally, and it takes time.
“You are a priest forever, according to
the order of Melchizedek!”
Let’s have a look now at what we have heard this morning from the Word
of God. First, we see Abram who, after a military victory, gives thanks to God for his success and makes
Him in thanksgiving an offering of one tenth of all his profit from
the military campaign.
Second, we hear Saint Paul
give witness to Jesus’ testament: before He dies, Jesus leaves us this mysterious meal in
which He gives us his own life as nourishment: his Body and Blood through the instruments of the bread and wine to be transformed
by his words of blessing.
Third, we see Jesus
responding to his Apostles who are concerned for the crowd famished after
following Jesus for three days. Jesus said the blessing on the 5 loaves and 2
fish, thereby accelerating their
natural multiplication which normally takes
place in the fields and in the sea. Jesus demonstrates that He is the Creator.
“You are a priest forever, according to
the order of Melchizedek!”
God loves us, and He invites us to trust in Him, to give Him thanks for
all the benefits we receive in everyday life. The Father invites us to trust in
Jesus his Son, the Christ, our Lord, and to trust also in the Holy Spirit. God,
the Most Holy Trinity, unceasingly offers us life, but never imposes. It is up
to us to accept. When I open my spirit in prayer, I accept the Presence of God
in me. When I confess my sins to Jesus’ priest, Jesus listens, counsels me, and
forgives me. When I receive Holy Communion, Jesus gives Himself to me to
nourish me. At every moment, the Holy Spirit shines his light in me, reminds me
of Jesus’ words, and helps me to understand.
“You are a priest forever, according to
the order of Melchizedek!”
God the Holy Trinity is our Creator who knows us, loves us, and reveals
Himself to us, and it is often in silence that God comes to gently touch our
spirit in our depths within us. We need to make silence within us as often as
possible. Let us make this interior silence; and gently give this example to
our children to help them to also come to know the Good God.
“You are
a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek!”
Jesus will show us the
Father; we will taste the love of God for us. During the Mass, the priest lends
his voice to Jesus who prays his Father and offers his life to the Father for
us. By and by, in the love of God the Father and of Jesus, the Holy Spirit will
manifest Himself to us.
“You are a priest forever, according to
the order of Melchizedek!”
“Mary
Queen of Peace, pray for us. St. Joseph, pray for us. St. Suzanne, pray for us. Father, we give You thanks. O my Jesus, I trust in You! Holy Spirit, enlighten us. Thank You; You who are God, the
Father, + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
In silence now, the Holy Spirit continues to help us to
know Jesus and our heavenly Father.
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© 2006-2022 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant,
Associate of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal QC
© 2006-2022 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles
Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik,
Montréal QC
