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The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Solemnity

June 11th, 2010


Acts 11: 21-26; 13:1-3

“A great number believed and were converted to the Lord”, we are told in today’s reading. “ The church in Jerusalem heard about this and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. There he could see for himself that God had given grace. and this pleased him, he urged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion; he was a good man filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were won over to the Lord. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians”.It was from Antioch that Saul and Barnabas set out on their first missionary journey. Barnabas encouraged and exhorted the Christians to remain faithful, he was a man guided by the Holy Spirit, serving others by leading them to Christ. (from Bible Alive)

Bible Alive also tells us that the decision for Barnabas and Saul to set out on mission was the fruit of the prayer of the whole community and subject to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we like to think that it is our own initiatives that prevail in our efforts to build the kingdom, whereas it is the Holy Spirit who leads us in our endeavours.

Prayer


We pray you, Lord, send us your Spirit in all that we undertake and do. Help us to proclaim the Gospel by word and deed. Amen.

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Just a Thought

The Eucharist

The manner in which we celebrate Eucharist and the reverence we give to it speak greatly of the sort of people we are. The following is a lovely story from the early Church which I came across recently: it might help us to understand what it means to be a member of the Church:

Cyprian of Cathage, wrote to his friend, Donatus: “It’s a bad world, Donatus, in which we live. But right in the middle of it I have discovered a quiet and holy group of people. They are people who have found a happiness that is a thousand times more joyful than all the pleasures of our sinful lives. These people are despised and persecuted, but it doesn’t matter to them. They are Christians, Donatus, and I am one of them.”

St. Luke, in the Acts of the Apostles, describes how those people, the early Christians, bore witness to Christ and celebrated the Eucharist – i.e. the Mass; “The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions;… There was not a needy person among them…. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes…”

The Eucharist has consequences for the way we should live our lives. St. Augustine tells us that the Lord gave us these gifts of his Body and Blood so that we, too, might become these very things – i.e. his Body and Blood for the life of the world.

During the celebration of the Last Supper Jesus said, “I have given you an example, that you also should do what I have done to you.” Through us Christ is made present to our world. Our sharing in the Eucharist bonds us together with our brothers and sisters who have also been immersed into the life of Christ through the waters of Baptism.

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