The Most Holy Body and Blood of

Christ

The Most Cherished Gift

We celebrate the body and blood of Christ not as isolated objects of adoration but as
food and drink, like the manna in the desert and the water brought forth from a rock.

Jesus makes it very clear how we are to approach his body and blood: if you do not eat
the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you have no life in you. He who feeds on my flesh
and drinks my blood has life eternal.

The food that we eat every day, and the liquids we drink, become part of our bodies,
sustaining them and allowing them to grow, function, and heal.

The food that is the body and blood of Christ does something far greater; it makes us
one with God. The man who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.

This is why the body and blood of Christ signify unity and peace: there is one Christ,
and all who eat and drink the body and blood of Christ become one in the one Christ.

We, many though we are, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. There is no room for
disunity among those who eat and drink the body and blood of Christ.
Gerald Darring

“The mysterious reality of the Eucharist—‘My

flesh is real food and my blood real drink’ (Jn
6:55)—is a puzzle to some, a scandal to others.
It has always been so.
But for those who believe in Jesus’ teaching be-
cause they believe in Jesus Christ himself, the
Eucharist is, among all his gifts to us, the most
cherished and the cause of our deepest grati-
tude.”
U.S. Bishops, The Eucharist and the Hungers
of the Human Family (1975) 18-19

May 25, 2008

Some καιρός / kairos thoughts…
καιρός / kairos—Greek—time—viewed as an occasion rather than an extent

You can do
nothing
without me

why do you
keep trying
to do things

alone?

A child is not
supposed to
lift Prayer List
heavy things Pray the rosary for world peace, Avis Cox, Fr. Clarence Biggers, Gladys and
Ben Kramkowski, Rita Moenk, Doug Bearden, Sarah Snider, Thornton/Lynch
alone family, Ryan Amsberry, Annie & family, Connie, her mother & family, Blake,
Erik, Campbell family, Jonathan & family, Sharon & family, Will, FMS, Cap.
Corp., Patrick & Brittany, Broughman family, Fannie Crowder & family, VAL,
all I ask is Father Ingram’s father & family, Karen’s mother, Cheryl Mobley & family,
William Hudson, Robert, Walter, Danielle, Christopher, Barbara, Katherine,
that Nicholas, Kaylin, Kasie, Mary Beth & family, Mary Ann Mahoney & family,
you talk to me Donna & family, Ann Chancellor & family, Sheila & family, cancer patients &
families, military & families, Brandon, Plantation Villa residents, Don, Mrs.
Carpenter, Mr. & Mrs. Rooks, Katherine & family, Mr. Dunn, Mr. & Mrs.
Barlow, Jane & family, Scott & family, Diane & Peter, Michele & Gary, Lucy’s
tell me why father & family, Bobbie, Joan & family, Karl’s mother & family, June & family,
you are sad Tina & family, Belinda & family, OLM family, Kat, Delgratia & family, Mr.
Gomez & family, Sara’s mother, Dr. Lynch & family, Rob/Allie & family,
Chuck & family, Frank & family, Liesa & family, mother of Dr. Petros, Dr. Issa
& family, Odessa, Anita’s mother & family, Ruby, Ruby’s mother & family,
tell me why Davies family, Katie & family, family of Angie, Ann & family, Gretchen &
you are afraid family, Eileen, Scott & family, Robert, Flavia & family, Tony’s family, Roy &
Martha Wright, Roy, Alice Swygert, Alan, Nard, Tony, Glenda, Nelson, J. Bob,
Munn, Vogt, Wolfe families, Russell & family, Ola, Gene Wilson & family, Jane
tell me why Brock & family, Janet Kramer & family, Elayne & family, Winnie, Phil & family,
Tony, Stan, Emily & family, Ruthie & Ed, Mr. Bergin & family, Russell &
you are tired family, Mrs. Sanseverino & family, CC Center, veterans & families Jessie
Emmett, Mark, Michael’s mother, Carrie, VAMC, Rambo’s mother & family,
Josephine Mary, Mary Anna, S. Paul, Tony, J. W. Wilson & family, Jason &
come to me—I Kim, Josie, Kelly, Mickey’s family, Jon & Janet Cook & family, Karen’s cousin,
Mike Aguado & family, Carl & family, Dr. Lopez & family, Dr. Vanapalli &
will refresh family, Dr. Nair & family, Garrett & family, family of Duffie, Aaron Christian,
Marina & family, Mitchell’s father & family, Estella’s mother & family, Kerry’s
you J. Janda Poem from liturgy.slu.edu
mother & family, Gail & family, Beth & family, Bernard, Anna & family, Sara
Lucas & family, Mary Gilliam & family, Gary & Sharon Creed, Barbara Carl,
James & Phyllis Wham, Dan Kessler, Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Fry, David Hempen,
Steve Kirkland, Michael Cofer, Buddy Brasher, Lana Adams-Tidwell, Kathy
Begun in 1247 at the insistence of a nun, Juliana McGhee, Michael & family, Berger family, Mendez family, Ikai family, Joshua
of Mont-Cornillon, this feast has been celebrated Moser, Stephanie Christian, Carolyn Williamson, Chris B., Joey Milani, Justine,
Henry & Anna, Peggy Cable, Claude Rickman, Leonard & Mary, Patricia Finch,
under many different names: Feast of the Eucha- Kathy Weaver, Anderson family, Chris Stahler family, Barbara Zebertas,
Frances Homsey, Gus Kneidinger, Mary Jo Shamas, Heim family, Mary
rist, Feast of God, Feast of the Most Precious Ondovchik, Ann Rudy, Chad Nostrant, Heidi FitzGerald, Ed Schaffer, Lynn
Sacrament and Most Holy Body and Blood of Smith, Randy Taylor, Brian Strickland, Amy & family, Lil Jones, Julian
Campbell, Leon Roberts & family, Elaine Cole, Elysa Cole-Ali, Eric
Christ, the name we use today. Saint Thomas Hawthorne, Leroy & Lynn Burrows, Shirley Walton, Marie McDemmond,
Anthony Morgan, Ana Maria Molano, Alvaro & Carlos Penogos, Erwin
Aquinas prepared the texts for the Mass and Di- Molano, Gloria & Harold Villegas, Rick Long, Caron Pierre & family, Kirby,
vine Office. Encouraging reverence and adora- Valerie Panter, Hattie Jackson, Sr. Mary Bonaventure, Sylvia Ponder, Dames
family, Frances James, Tony Pinson, Ellen Adams, Carlo Dellaquila, Katherine
tion for the Eucharist, this feast presents the Catti, Joanna & Michael Spataro, Virginia Butano & family, Stephanie & Mark
Fletcher, Lily Bosco, Ambreen & grandfather, Josh Kelly, Carolyn Boccella,
Eucharist as real nourishment for God’s people Kim Pierce, Egbosuiba family, Sonya Robinson,, Joe Powell family, Raymond
to be eaten and drunk for our salvation. Smith, Karen Murphy, Scott Yananos, TB, Jane, Duyos family, Jay & Dorothy
Yarbrough, Nancy, Kathaleen Michalek, Michelle Carroll
.
Philip J. Sandstrom, S.T.D. © 2001 Oregon Catholic Press. All rights reserved.