The Body and Blood of Jesus Christ A, 2008 Print print this page                 

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Today we are celebrating the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.
We do this because they are our most important spiritual food.

We are also fed by reading the scriptures and spiritual books,
praying devotions and meditating, visiting holy places,
giving aims and doing works of charity.

God has been providing both material and spiritual food for his people from the beginning.
The Garden of Eden was like a table laid with rich food and they ate there until they decided to go their own way.

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob heard the word of God and plenty to eat. In the desert God gave them manna from heaven and quails to eat and water from the rock to drink.
They were given the commandments to govern their lives.
They were given the Promised Land which was flowing with milk and honey.
They had the judges and the prophets to give them the word of God and eventually
they had the written books of the Old Testament to listen to.

Jesus rebuked Satan with the words: man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
To this, he added the sacrament of his own Body and Blood saying that whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood would live forever.

In the Church and through the Eucharist we are one body with Christ. The Eucharist is the Sacrament of sacrament. All the others, Baptism and Confirmation, Penance and anointing of the sick, Matrimony and Holy orders are ordered to it as to their end.

The Eucharist is a perpetual reminder of the intimate bond we enjoy with God.

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