WEEK FIFTEEN: IN THE UPPER ROOM DAY 4
MORNING FACE TO FACE WITH GOD:
Begin with Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Prayer on Luke 22: 15-16; 19-20: The Paschal Meal. "He said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for, I tell you, I shall not eat it [again] until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God." ... Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me." And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you." [Please read Luke 22: 14-20 for a better appreciation of the passage].
Read the Reflections: then pray using Luke 22:14-20; ask for sorrow with Christ in sorrow, anguish with Christ in anguish, tears and deep grief because of the great affliction Christ endures for me (#203).
The Eucharist celebrates the Memorial of Jesus' sacrifice. The Memorial is the proclamation of the mighty works wrought by God for men. In the liturgical celebration of these events, these mighty works become present and real. This is how Israel understands its liberation from Egypt: Every time Passover is celebrated, the Exodus, which is an ever-living and salvific event, is made present and real among the believers. The participants experience in mystery this saving event in the same way as their ancestors did. In the New Testament, the Memorial takes on new meaning. In the Eucharist, the sacrifice Christ offered once for all on the cross remains ever-present and real in the Risen Lord. "As often as the sacrifice of the Cross by which 'Christ our Pasch has been sacrificed' is celebrated on the altar, the work of our redemption is carried out." (Lumen Gentium 3) The sacrificial character is revealed in the very words of institution: "This is my body which is given for you" and "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." (Luke 22: 19-20) The institution narrative is the only place where Jesus mentions the new covenant, from which the gospels and other books relating to Jesus are named the New Testament.
The day has arrived, Jesus's mission was about to be fulfilled. He knew the suffering and pain He would endure as the sacrificial lamb, He also knew who He was doing this for, You and I. The institute of the Mass is not an easy teaching for a non-catholic to understand but the love that Jesus has for us is. He knew the blood that He offered up was His, He knee the flesh that He offered up was His and He knew He was doing it for you and I. Living your faith has purpose, accepting the teachings of Jesus has meaning. It is not an empty sacrifice, it is the body and blood of Jesus. It is called faith.
What is God saying to you? I love you that much that I sent my son to pay the price for your sin. He willing accepted the cup and does it with love.
Dear Father, I thank You for the institute of the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church, I thank You for the Sacrament of the mass and the institute of the Eucharist. I thank You for this day and all that You have prepared for us. Enliven our senses to receive the gift of life in all that we do, we say and we hear. May Your Son Jesus walk with us and be in us when we receive the Sacrament. Help our unbelief Lord that we may become full aires to the throne. I ask this in the One who died for me and lives within today, Jesus Christ.
Mary, Our Lady of Victory, Pray for us.
St Joesph, Terror of Demons, Pray for us.
Viva Cristo Rey
Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4b
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