In today's first reading, Exodus 24: 3-8, the Israelites say to Moses: "We will do everything that the Lord has told us" to do. Moses puts this promise into writing and then, the next day, "he erected at the foot of the mountain an altar and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel." He offered sacrifices on this altar, pouring the blood of the sacrificed animals on the altar and some of their blood he sprinkled on the people. As he sprinkled this blood upon them, he said: "This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words of his". At the consecration of the bread and wine during a Catholic Mass, the priests says: "Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body which will be given up for you" and "Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, (my emphasis) which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me." And so, in Holy Communion we do (my emphasis) take and eat and take and drink of the body and blood,. the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and transformation of ourselves into Christ Jesus!
What a gift offered upon our altars in every Catholic Church during the Sacrifice of the Mass, offered in memory of Jesus's sacrifice made for us on Calvary.
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