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Surprisingly, the Gospel says nothing about the theme of today's feast - the institution of the Eucharist. But, taken together, the three readings embrace the full meaning of the feast. The first reading speaks of the original Passover meal to celebrate the liberation of the Jewish people from the slavery of Egypt. They still celebrate it solemnly today. St Paul, writing to the Corinthians, speaks of the new Passover meal, which Jesus inaugurated. Now the central element is not the lamb but the Lamb of God, which is Himself, and the sharing of His life through the eating together of the bread which is His Body and the drinking together of the wine which is His Blood. And the proof of our transformation is in our readiness to be totally at the service of our brothers and sisters as a sign that we have been filled with the love which we celebrate in the Eucharist. There is an inseparable link between the Eucharist we celebrate and the lives of love and fellowship that we live. There cannot be one without the other. May we continue to do both in memory of Him. Lord, in every eucharist that we celebrate, may we find the fullness of love and life. |
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P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
| INTENTION : |
For the ecclesial organisations and groups engaged in social
action, that in their testimony they may proclaim strongly and consistently
the Gospel of Love.
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It is the Church's desire that all social-charitable initiatives might
always be inspired, in their implementation, by the immutable principles of
the Gospel. There is danger, however, that professional organisations
engaged in the social field risk losing the fundamental motivation for their
existence: that is bearing witness to Christ's charity which the Church has
the duty to communicate and to share with others. In order to be effective, then, continual spiritual formation is needed for voluntary co-operators who wish to devote themselves to social action. All these initiatives tend to develop the awareness that the foundation and centre of our action is Christ, in whom the God of love revealed himself and gave himself to men and women. Consequently all those who welcome Christ follow him and answer the call to be faithful witnesses to it. This awareness must totally imbue the hearts and minds of individuals so that it also inspires the Communities they set up for organised action in support of underprivileged persons and communities suffering from material and moral poverty. Being thus imbued and formed it becomes necessary that volunteers pray to draw Christ into their midst and have him accompany them. | |
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