Reading 1
Gn 14:18-20
In those days, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine,
and being a priest of God Most High,
he blessed Abram with these words:
"Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
the creator of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
who delivered your foes into your hand."
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Reading 2
1 Cor 11:23-26
Brothers and sisters:
I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.
Gospel
Lk 9:11b-17
Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God,
and he healed those who needed to be cured.
As the day was drawing to a close,
the Twelve approached him and said,
"Dismiss the crowd
so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms
and find lodging and provisions;
for we are in a deserted place here."
He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves."
They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have,
unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people."
Now the men there numbered about five thousand.
Then he said to his disciples,
"Have them sit down in groups of about fifty."
They did so and made them all sit down.
Then taking the five loaves and the two fish,
and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing over them, broke them,
and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
They all ate and were satisfied.
And when the leftover fragments were picked up,
they filled twelve wicker baskets.
Meditation: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
The Body and Blood of Christ
Do this in remembrance of me. (1 Corinthians 11:24)
The Brule River borders the states of Michigan and Wisconsin in the Upper Midwest of the United States. The Brule has clear sparkling water and it is full of all kinds of fish. At one point, the Brule River merges with the Iron River. Unlike the Brule, the Iron River is murky and polluted.
When these two rivers merge, do you think that the Brule River cleanses the Iron River? Or does the Iron muddy the Brule? As they mix into one stream, the muddy Iron River pollutes the sparkling water of the Brule.
Every time we receive the body and blood of Christ, something similar happens. Jesus’ pure, divine life mixes with our impure, human lives. But unlike these two rivers, the impurities in our lives are not strong enough to pollute the divine perfection in Jesus’ life. Far from it. In fact, Jesus’ life is so pure that he has the power to overcome every impurity in our lives and make us as clean as a sparkling river.
The good news of the gospel is that we don’t have to stay polluted by our past sins. And neither does mixing with the world have to result in our becoming more impure. No, God can protect us and make us fruitful, just as a pure river supports all kinds of life. We really can support the people around us with the witness of our lives!
So when you receive the body and blood of Christ today, imagine these two rivers coming together: the clear and pure merging with muddy and polluted. Imagine this confluence bringing you God’s grace and blessing. Jesus loves nothing more than taking what is weak and imperfect in us and making it stronger and more holy. He is all good, and he has nothing but good plans for you!
“Jesus, you promised that the pure in heart will see God. I welcome you into my life today and ask you to purify me. Lord, I want to see you!”
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