Daily Readings - Sun Jun 06 2021

³Therefore, Moses went and explained to the people all the words of the Lord, as well as the judgments. And all the people responded with one voice: "We will do all the words of the Lord, which he has spoken.⁴Then Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. And rising up in the morning, he built an altar at the base of the mountain, with twelve titles according to the twelve tribes of Israel⁵And he sent youths from the sons of Israel, and they offered holocausts, and they immolated calves as peace-offerings to the Lord⁶And so Moses took one half part of the blood, and he put it into bowls. Then the remaining part he poured over the altar⁷And taking up the book of the covenant, he read it in the hearing of the people, who said: "All that the Lord has spoken, we will do, and we will be obedient.⁸In truth, taking up the blood, he sprinkled it on the people, and he said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has formed with you concerning all these words.

Hebrews

Chapter 9

¹¹But Christ, standing as the High Priest of future good things, through a greater and more perfect tabernacle, one not made by hand, that is, not of this creation¹²entered once into the Holy of Holies, having obtained eternal redemption, neither by the blood of goats, nor of calves, but by his own blood¹³For if the blood of goats and oxen, and the ashes of a calf, when these are sprinkled, sanctify those who have been defiled, in order to cleanse the flesh¹⁴how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the Holy Spirit has offered himself, immaculate, to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works, in order to serve the living God¹⁵And thus he is the Mediator of the new testament, so that, by his death, he intercedes for the redemption of those transgressions which were under the former testament, so that those who have been called may receive the promise of an eternal inheritance

Mark

Chapter 14

¹²And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they immolate the Passover, the disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?¹³And he sent two of his disciples, and he said to them: "Go into the city. And you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water; follow him¹⁴And wherever he will have entered, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says: Where is my dining room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?¹⁵And he will show you a large cenacle, fully furnished. And there, you shall prepare it for us.¹⁶And his disciples departed and went into the city. And they found it just as he had told them. And they prepared the Passover²²And while eating with them, Jesus took bread. And blessing it, he broke it and gave it to them, and he said: "Take. This is my body.²³And having taken the chalice, giving thanks, he gave it to them. And they all drank from it²⁴And he said to them: "This is my blood of the new covenant, which shall be shed for many²⁵Amen I say to you, that I will no longer drink from this fruit of the vine, until that day when I will drink it new in the kingdom of God.²⁶And having sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives

Sermon

In today’s readings, we journey through the sacred moments of covenant-making and renewal, as God binds Himself to His people in profound ways. The First Reading from Exodus recounts the establishment of the Old Covenant, where Moses sprinkles the blood of sacrifice on the people, sealing their commitment to follow God’s laws. This act is a powerful symbol of purification and dedication, as the Israelites affirm their willingness to obey the Lord. The Second Reading from Hebrews elevates our understanding, contrasting the blood of goats and calves with the perfect sacrifice of Christ. His blood, offered once for all, cleanses our consciences and establishes a new and eternal covenant. In the Gospel, Mark vividly portrays the institution of the Eucharist, where Jesus takes bread and wine, transforming them into His body and blood. This sacred meal is the fulfillment of the old covenant, as Jesus declares, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which will be shed for many.” These readings are deeply interconnected, revealing a beautiful progression of God’s plan of salvation. The blood of animals in Exodus prefigures the blood of Christ, the perfect Lamb of God. While the Old Covenant was sealed with the blood of sacrifices, the New Covenant is sealed with the blood of the Son of God, who offers Himself as the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus’ words at the Last Supper, “This is my body… this is my blood,” draw us into the heart of this mystery. The Eucharist becomes the source and summit of our Christian life, where we participate in the sacrifice of Christ and are united to Him in a bond of love and gratitude. As we reflect on these readings, let us consider how we live out the new covenant in our daily lives. Just as the Israelites were called to obey God’s laws, we are called to live as disciples of Christ, shaped by His teachings and transformed by His grace. The Eucharist is not just a ritual; it is a call to conversion and to a life of love. May we approach the altar with reverence and gratitude, recognizing the immense gift of Christ’s body and blood. Let us strive to live in a way that honors this sacred covenant, offering our lives as a sacrifice of praise to the God who has loved us so deeply.