Body and Blood of Christ - 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time - A - June 11 & 18, 2023

2 You shall remember all the way which YHWH your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, to prove you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments, or not. 3 He humbled you, and allowed you to be hungry, and fed you with manna, which you didn't know, neither did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of YHWH.

14b Do not forget YHWH your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; 15 who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with fiery serpents and scorpions, and thirsty ground where there was no water; who brought you forth water out of the rock of flint;16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers didn't know; that he might humble you, and that he might prove you, to do you good at your latter end.

1 Hallelujah,
for it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant and fitting to praise him.
2 YHWH builds up Jerusalem.
He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the broken in heart,
and binds up their wounds.
4 He counts the number of the stars.
He calls them all by their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power.
His understanding is infinite.
6 YHWH upholds the humble.
He brings the wicked down to the ground.
7 Sing to YHWH with thanksgiving.
Sing praises on the harp to our God,
8 who covers the sky with clouds,
who prepares rain for the earth,
who makes grass grow on the mountains.
9 He provides food for the livestock,
and for the young ravens when they call.
10 He doesn't delight in the strength of the horse.
He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 YHWH takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his loving kindness.
12 Praise YHWH, Jerusalem!
Praise your God, Zion!
13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates.
He has blessed your children within you.
14 He makes peace in your borders.
He fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15 He sends out his commandment to the earth.
His word runs very swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool,
and scatters frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his hail like pebbles.
Who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them.
He causes his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
19 He shows his word to Jacob;
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
20 He has not done this for just any nation.
They don't know his ordinances.
Hallelujah.

16 When we eat the Lord's Supper, we bless God for a cup of wine. Doesn't this cup share in the blood of Christ? At the Lord's Supper, we also break and share a loaf of bread. Doesn't the bread share in the body of Christ? 17 Even though there are many of us, we are one body, just like there is only one loaf of bread. For we all share from that same bread.

16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not communion with the blood of CHRIST? The bread that we break, is it not a communion with the body of CHRIST? 17 Because one is the (loaf of) bread, (we) the many are one body, for all (of us) share in the one (loaf) of bread.

Jesus said the crowd:

51 "I AM the living bread which has come down from heaven. If someone eats this bread, he will live forever. My flesh is the bread I will give, so everyone in the world might live."

52 Then, within the crowd, the people complained, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

53 "Listen!" Jesus replied. "If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in you. 54 The person who gnaws on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. And I will raise him on the last day. 55 For my flesh is the only real food and my blood is the only real drink. 56 The person who gnaws on my flesh and drinks my blood stays in me. And I stay in him. 57 The living Father sent me. And I live because of the Father. So, the person who gnaws on my flesh will also live because of me. 58 This bread that came down from heaven is not like the manna your ancestors ate. They died. But, the person who gnaws on this bread will live forever."

Jesus said to the crowd

51 "I AM the Living Bread, the (bread) having come down from heaven. If someone should eat of this bread, he will live into the age (of the Kingdom); but the bread which I will give is my flesh, on behalf of the life of the world."

52 The Jews argued with each other, saying, "How is this man able to give us his flesh to eat?" 53 JESUS said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you. If you should not eat the flesh of the SON OF MAN and you should not drink HIS blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 The (person) gnawing on MY flesh and drinking MY blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For MY flesh is true food and MY blood is true drink. 56 The (person) gnawing on MY flesh and drinking MY blood remains in me and I (remain) in him. 57 In the same way the Living Father sent me and I live through the Father, the (person) gnawing on MY flesh will also live through me. 58 This is the bread having come down from heaven, unlike (the manna which our) ancestors ate and (then) died. The (person) gnawing on this bread will into the age (of the Kingdom)."

Jesus said to the crowd

51 I AM the Living Bread, the (bread) having come down from heaven. If someone should eat of this bread, he will live into the age (of the Kingdom); but the bread which I will give is my flesh, on behalf of the life of the world.

52 The Jews argued with each other, saying, "How is this man able to give us his flesh to eat?" 53 JESUS said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you. If you should not eat the flesh of the SON OF MAN and you should not drink HIS blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 The (person) gnawing on MY flesh and drinking MY blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

55 For MY flesh is true food and MY blood is true drink. 56 The (person) gnawing on MY flesh and drinking MY blood remains in me and I (remain) in him.

57 In the same way the Living Father sent me and I live through the Father, the (person) gnawing on MY flesh will also live through me.

58 This is the bread having come down from heaven, unlike (the manna which our) ancestors ate and (then) died. The (person) gnawing on this bread will into the age (of the Kingdom)."

I have already told you what the Lord Jesus did on the night he was betrayed. And it came from the Lord himself.

He took some bread in his hands. Then after he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Eat this and remember me."

After the meal, Jesus took a cup of wine in his hands and said, "This is my blood, and with it God makes his new agreement with you. Drink this and remember me." The Lord meant that when you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you tell about his death until he comes.

Reader 1:

Jesus said the crowd:

Reader 2:

"I AM the living bread which has come down from heaven. If someone eats this bread, he will live forever. My flesh is the bread I will give, so everyone in the world might live."

Reader 1:

Then, within the crowd, the people complained, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

Reader 2:

"Listen!" Jesus replied. "If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in you. The person who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. And I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is the only food that's important. My blood is the only drink that's important. The person who eats my flesh and drinks my blood stays in me. And I will stay in him."

Reader 1:

The living Father sent me. And I live because of the Father. So, the person who eats my flesh will also live because of me. This bread that came down from heaven is not like the manna your ancestors ate. They died. But, the person who eats this bread will live forever."

One day, a large crowd followed Jesus into the wilderness to hear about God's Kingdom. Late in the afternoon, the apostles wanted Jesus to dismiss the crowd so the people could eat dinner in one of the surrounding villages.

"Why don't you give them something to eat?" Jesus replied.

"All we have is five loaves of bread and two fish!" the apostles exclaimed.

"Have everyone to get ready for dinner," Jesus told them. Then, Jesus took the five loaves and two fish in his hands, looked up to heaven, and blessed the food. He broke the food into pieces and gave it to his followers so they could pass it out to the people. Everyone in the crowd ate until they were full. Then, his followers collected the twelve baskets of leftovers!

While they celebrated the Passover meal, Jesus took bread and blessed God for it. Then, he broke the bread into pieces, gave it to his followers, and said, "Take it. This is my body."

Jesus said the crowd:

"I AM the living bread which has come down from heaven. If someone eats this bread, he will live forever. My flesh is the bread I will give, so everyone in the world might live."

Afterwards, Jesus took the cup in his hands and blessed God for the wine. Then, he passed the cup to his followers and they all took a drink."This is my blood of the covenant God makes with us," Jesus stated. "It will be poured out for all people."

Jesus told the crowd:

If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you are not really alive! The person who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is the only real food and my blood is the only real drink that really matter. The person who eats my flesh and drinks my blood stays in me. And I stay in him.