Our Sabbath Scripture Stories – Corpus Christi – Cycle A

Read or listen to this Sunday’s Mass readings here.

  • Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a
  • 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
  • John 6:51-58

Everyone patiently waited at the bottom of the stairs for Lucy and Mom to come down this morning.  This was a very special Sunday.  This was the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.  Just a few weeks earlier, 8-year-old Lucy had received Jesus in Holy Communion for the first time.  It was such a special time preparing her for that life-changing day.  To mark this special feast day of the Church, Mom and Lucy had decided that Lucy would again wear her sparkling white First Communion dress.  In fact, the entire Pauline family had on special finery.

Soon Mom and Lucy stood at the top of the stairs.   Even without her veil today, Lucy looked like an angel.  Everyone soon gathered in the living room to hear the Gospel reading for Mass today.  Dad slowly read John 6:51-58.  He especially emphasized the passages, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.” (John 6:53-54)  Dad then ended the passage with the promise, “Whoever eats this bread will live forever.”  (John 6:58b)

As Dad closed the Holy Bible, he asked the family, “Who can tell me what the Holy Eucharist means to you?”  Dad sort of chuckled as Vincent’s eyebrows raised into his head, and Mary Clare and Lucy got a telling, wide-eyed expression.

Mom decided to break the silence and go first.  “I can still remember my First Communion day,” she sighed.  “I had a teacher called Sister Valeria, and I’ll always remember her words.  She told us that, in the same way bodily food is necessary for life here on earth, Holy Communion is necessary for the life of our soul.  We have a union with Jesus Christ that is intense.  In fact,” Mom went on to say, “that is the meaning of the word com-munion.  Com-munion means intense union.”

Mary Clare nodded.  “I still remember learning that the Eucharist allows us to share in the divine life of Christ.  Here I am, little Mary Clare Pauline, and I am privileged enough to share in the divine life of Jesus—the second Person of the Blessed Trinity!  That is more than mind-boggling!”

Vincent agreed.  “To me, Holy Communion still might look the same as bread and wine that are brought up with the gifts, but I know it’s not the same after it’s been consecrated!  I just can’t describe it!  I feel it goes way down deep into me!  I don’t know if I can explain it, but I always feel holy and special when I receive Communion.  Does that make any sense?”

Dad smiled knowingly.  “Sure it does, Vincent!  Jesus tells us that this is real food and real drink, and it will gain us eternal life!  How can you not feel holy and special?”

Then Lucy stood up, wearing her crisp white dress.  “I liked what Mommy said about your soul,” she explained.  “Our Family Formation teacher reminded us that we have to keep our souls even more white and pure than this dress I’m wearing.  Receiving Jesus in Holy Communion helps us to do that!”  Lucy took a joyful twirl.

“Right you are, Lucy!” Dad agreed.  “And I have just one more reminder for us before we head off to Mass.  Jesus gave us His Body and Blood to nourish our souls and unite Himself more deeply and intensely with us until we are united forever with Him in heaven.  I want each of us to make an extra special effort today at Mass to take a few minutes after Holy Communion and devoutly thank Him for this gift.  Really focus on what we have just received!  Amen?”

“Amen, Dad!” came the responses.

Then Dad looked at 4-year-old Hillary and 1-year-old Ben.  “And for you,” he told them with a loving grin, “soon you will be old enough to receive Jesus, too.  As for now, know that Jesus loves you very, very much!  I look forward to the time when all the Paulines are united at the banquet table of the Lord!  That will certainly be a great day!”

Then linking arm-in-arm, the family headed out the door.

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Cycle A, Corpus Christi, SSSDownload

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