RENEWsletter for June 14, 2009 - Body and Blood

Dear Friends--
Well, a new week is starting beautifully. God has blessed us with beautiful weather and much more than that! Other parts of the country, the midwest and northeast especially, are experiencing God's power in thunderstorms and wind. But we are also reminded of his power to bring blessing out of the worst disaster. Among all our many blessings are the blessings of Christ's Body and Blood that came out of the disaster of his death. Next Sunday we celebrate this and although the readings are filled with bloody images, the meaning of it all is made clear.

The readings for next Sunday, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, are on the web at http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/061409.shtml and in your Bible at:

Exodus 24.3-8
Psalm 116.12-13, 15-16, 17-18
Hebrews 9.11-15
Mark 14.12-16, 22-26

Let's look at the Responsorial Psalm first. We were speaking of blessings. The psalmist sings, "How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me?" (Ps. 116. 12). What can we do to repay the Lord for our salvation? We can raise the cup of salvation and call upon his name (v. 13), that is, accept God's salvation, trust him to meet our needs, and (v. 18), pay our vows to the LORD in public! The phrase that struck me was verse 15: "Precious [or very costly] in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones." Keep this in mind as we look at the rest of the Scriptures.

The First Reading takes place at the point where Moses is telling the Israelites what he had received from the Lord. The people were enthusiastic then. "We will do everything that the LORD has told us," they said (Ex. 24.3). They sacrificed, joyfully, the best of their herds (v. 5). They allowed themselves to be "washed" with the blood of the young bulls that were killed for the offering to atone for iniquity (v. 8). This was the first covenant between God and his people.

"Precious in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones."

The Second Reading speaks of a new covenant. A final sacrifice has been made (Heb. 9.12). God's own Son sacrificed himself. Now it is God's own blood that washes us free of iniquity. Now we have "cleansed consciences" knowing that we will receive the "promised eternal inheritance" (vs. 14, 15).

"Precious in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones."

The Gospel Reading shows us how to be reminded that the supreme, once-for-all sacrifice continues to cleanse us from our sins. We celebrate the offering of the Body and Blood of Christ (Mark 14.22-24), which not only cleanses our past sins, but all those sins we are still going to commit in the future. This is Grace unbounded. This is Love without condition. This is our inheritance, available now and for all Eternity.

"Precious in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones."

At the end of the Gospel Reading (v. 26), the disciples departed for the Mount of Olives, where the final betrayal of our Lord was to take place. But those disciples went singing!

"Precious in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones."

In our daily lives we sometimes fail to see how much God loves us. Trials abound. Remorse and guilt overtake us. We sometimes despair that we can ever please God. To this I offer a few words of a song by the Beatles... "There will be an answer, let it be, let it be." Trust God to do everything you can't. And thank him in advance.

Have a great week, folks, and don't stop singing. There will be an answer!

Randy Jones
"Those who cannot sing say the lute is out of tune!"