The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which is one of the most mysterious teachings of our Lord, where often what we need is not better knowledge to comprehend this teaching, but rather what we merely need is to have a child-like faith and believe what Jesus wants us to believe. You can find this passage in your Bibles if you open to Mark 14:12-16,22-26. The latter verse actually is Mark’s version of the Last Supper.

On the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover Lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover? 13 He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him. 14 Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, “The Teacher says, ‘Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’” Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there. 16 The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.”

“22 While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. 25 Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 The, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”

For those who have no faith, not has yet been chosen by The Father as one of his own, this passage is nothing but a mere dinner that happened during the Passover. For those of us blessed with the gift of knowledge from the Holy Spirit, this is the actual link between the Old Testament’s Feast of the Passover by the Jews to Christianity’s sacrifice of the Holy Mass.

To have a clearer understanding of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, you can go to Leviticus.23:6, which stipulates that this feast will last for seven days and begins on the eve of the Passover and ends in the Sabbath Day. Leaven in scripture symbolizes sin and wickedness. That Jesus died on this day is significant as he is perfect and sinless albeit unleavened bread.

We’ve already explained to you the Passover many times. But just to refresh your memories, it is the holiest Jewish Feast called Pesach in Hebrew to remind them of the Exodus when Israel was freed from the bondage of slavery by the Pharaoh of Egypt. During the Passover meal the Israelites were ordered to slaughter an unblemished lamb for each household and its blood sprinkled with a reed on the lintel and doorposts and then the Angel of Death will pass over that household and no one will die.

In celebrating the Passover, the Jews wore travel clothes and ate as if they were about to jump off and leave to signify their hasty escape from Egypt, which is also linked to why they have a Feast of the Unleavened bread as back in those days of haste, they didn’t have time to let their bread rise. While the meal is taking place, they recite the “Haggadah” or the portraying of the Exodus events in Scripture. Again, allow me to remind you that our Christian faith had its roots in the Jewish faith.

Now if you ask, what did our Lord Jesus mean when he said, “Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” You should know that the Last Supper was actually a Passover meal, and therefore they used the Passover Cups. First is the Passover Seder and starts with the “Kiddush” or the Cup of Sanctification. The second cup is called the “Cup of Plagues” while the Third Cup is the Cup of Redemption or the Cup of Blessing.

The fourth Cup has varied names, the Cup of “Hallel” or Praise the Cup of Acceptance or the Cup of Elijah. Perhaps in order to solve this confusion, our Lord Jesus said that he shall not drink again from the cup of the vine until I drink it new in the kingdom of God in reference to his coming bloody death on the cross, which brings him back to the Kingdom of the Father and his everlasting glory. 

Now that we’ve given you our reference from the Old Testament, we bring you back to the Bread of Life Discourse in John 6:54-56, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father has sent me and I have life because of the Father; so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.” This passage teaches us that our Lord Jesus is present, body, blood, soul and his divinity in the Holy Eucharist.

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