“THE CUP OF SALVATION I WILL RAISE; I WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD” (Ps 116:13)

⏰Friday of the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time 1 (19 July 2019)

📖Exod 11:10 – 12:14; Ps 116:12-13, 15 and 16bc, 17-18 (R.v.13); Matt 12:1-8

🎤”THE CUP OF SALVATION I WILL RAISE; I WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD” (Ps 116:13)

Who can speak when the Lord has not spoken? And when the Lord has spoken, who can refuse?

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is the true body and blood of Jesus Christ, together with its soul and divinity, under the appearance of the bread and wine. The bread and wine are not the main thing but point to it. The same Catechism says that after consecration, the bread ceases to be ordinary bread, the wine ceases to be ordinary wine; they become the body and blood of Jesus.

That is possible because the words spoken at consecration is not the word of the priest but that of Jesus himself (cf. Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor 11:23-25).

When therefore the Lord has instructed us to keep a memorial of that (cf. Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:26), who can instruct otherwise?

It is even to our advantage that the Eucharist is there. Not only that it satisfies our spiritual hunger (cf. John 6:35), it also gives us life (cf. John 6:51). Whoever eats and drinks of it worthily is protected from any form of danger. That is an idea we get from the passover itself.

The blood of the lamb which prefigures the blood of Christ is smeared at the doorposts of the Israelites to prevent the angel of death from entering their homes (cf. Exod 12:7, 13). In the the same way, whoever has the blood of Jesus running through his veins has no fear of evil triumphing over him or her.

When was the last time you received the Holy Eucharist? Or are you among those who think it is not necessary? Listen to Jesus, “I am telling you the truth, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:53-54).

May the blood of Christ be our protection against all the plans of the enemy and grant us eternal life in the end. Amen.

Have a fulfilled day ahead. Peace be with you.