Today’s the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.

Find the Mass Readings here: Solemnity of Corpus Christi, June 3, 2018

My takeaway:

#MyMassTakeaway Corpus Christi "You and I are in danger of losing our thanksgiving after Mass." Jesus is truly present in us for 15 min after receiving Holy Communion. Not figuratively. Not symbolically. Lit.er.ally. That's God. In my bod. Let's stop for a moment and reawaken that sense of awe and thanksgiving. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

A post shared by To Jesus Sincerely (@tojesussincerely) on Jun 3, 2018 at 5:30pm PDT

 

Thoughts from my blogging friends:

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ! (We went to vigil…#workweekend) So thankful for our Catholic faith and the gift of the Eucharist. In his homily today, Father called the Eucharist a “gift of mission” – and at the end of Mass, he sends us into the world to share the Jesus inside us! It’s so easy to forget. We receive the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ every single week (sometimes more often! #dailymass). What a precious gift! How will we share that gift this week? (Friendly reminder that sharing Jesus starts in our own homes – with our spouse and family ❤️) #mymasstakeaway #mysundaybest #exceptonsaturday

A post shared by Jen & Logan (@surprisedbymarriage) on Jun 2, 2018 at 4:43pm PDT

This morning I read a quote from my youngest,sister's Facebook feed…it read: "Growing apart doesn't change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. I'm glad for that." As I drove to Mass I informally asked Our Lord for a better understanding of the Eucharist. I think for a long time in my youth I didn't grasp the Real Presence, and still now, it is something that I don't fully grasp. Then the reader in Mass read the Second Reading. ..first. He made,a mistake and totally skipped the First Reading. So he read the Second Reading twice. The Second Reading reminded me of how much our roots will always be tangled with the Jewish faith… "For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God." So much of our faith is an extension and the fulfillment of the Jewish faith. It's fascinating. It's beautiful. #myMasstakeaway #mySundaybest #ourrootsaretangled #CatholicsOnline #lettertotheHebrews #CatholicsofInstagram #ourSundaybest #PhillyCatholic #Easterdress #myson

A post shared by Amy@ PrayerWineChocolate (@prayerwinechocolate) on Jun 3, 2018 at 8:18am PDT

The life of a military BRAT requires sacrifice and change. Every few years, military families move, requiring the children in those families to say rounds of good-byes to their friends, their neighbors, and their communities. For our family, this includes our Catholic chapel community. . . Our chaplain has already left our Catholic community as he prepares for his next duty station. Today, as we prepared to head to the front of the chapel for Communion, my son pulled me aside and asked where our chaplain was – the look on his face crushed my heart, as I explained our chaplain’s absence. . . My son has said goodbye to his school, goodbye to his best friend, and realized today that he said his goodbye to our chaplain – all in the past week and a half. Today, it sunk in to his little heart. . . And, yet, I breathed a sigh of relief. Because thankfully, our family has a constant. While he might fight me to head to church every week, we have a built-in source of constant for our family: receiving Christ in the Eucharist. Gathering together, even among strangers or new communities every couple years, we receive the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. . . On this Feast of Corpus Christi, I give thanks for the one constant in this military family’s life – as we look ahead to the change on our horizon. . . #catholicmom #catholicsonline #catholicsofinstagram #militarycatholic #momblogger #transitions #adventuretime #newbeginnings #faith #feastofcorpuschristi #mymasstakeaway w/ @tojesussincerely

A post shared by Anni Harry (@beautifulcamouflagedmess) on Jun 3, 2018 at 8:46am PDT

Not gonna sugar coat it. I’m a hot mess today. . In all honesty, I didn’t want to go to Mass today. I was dragging my feet this morning, wound up making myself run late, and slipped into a pew with soaking wet hair just seconds before the opening rites. . Definitely NOT #mysundaybest. . But He knows we aren’t perfect. That’s why Christ offered His Body and Blood as a sacrifice for our salvation. So that we may be made perfect through Him. . He is our guilt offering. He is our sin offering. He is our peace offering. He is our thanksgiving offering. . He is LOVE. #mymasstakeaway

A post shared by Mrs. Andy (@mrs.andy_) on Jun 3, 2018 at 9:58am PDT

Covenants are first agreed to, then ratified. The Israelites heard the Law, agreed to it, then were sprinkled with the blood of sacrifice. A bride and groom pledge fidelity, then consummate the marriage. We recite our Baptismal promises, then recieve Christ. ❤️ Father reminded us that each reception of Holy Communion is a ratification and consummation of Christ's covenant with us. Covenants are a big deal! The Israelites went through a lot of tough preparation before recieveing the Law from God. Brides and grooms have to spend at least 6 months (in our Archdiocese anyhow) preparing. Our first Holy Communion was prepared for with sacraments, prayer, and study. ❤️ Today we're reminded that while familiarity may cause us to become nonchalant about receiving the Body and Blood of Our Lord, each Sunday is God renewing His Covenant with us, and we need to treat it with the reverence it deserves. ❤️ #mymasstakeaway with @tojesussincerely

A post shared by Hilary- Messy Buns&Latin Chant (@hillyanne_t) on Jun 3, 2018 at 10:19am PDT

The word that stood out to me during Mass today: covenant. "A covenant — a relationship — is the beginning of something new…. What an amazing reality, to see that God wants to make, as He says in the book of revelation, Behold, I make all things new.” He wants to make our lives new again. He wants to renew that covenant with us.” (Fr. Chase Hilgenbrinck) ❤️🙌🏻 Thank you, Jesus for making all things new. Again and again. #mymasstakeaway #mysundaybest

A post shared by Annie Deddens (@catholicwifecatholiclife) on Jun 3, 2018 at 10:40am PDT

This morning, my priest shared a story about a young man who would come home on Sunday mornings, worn out from a night of partying, to see his elderly neighbor walking down the steep hill to attend Mass. He would sort of smirk to himself: here he was ready to crash after a great night, and there she was, up at dawn, headed out to a boring church service. One day, it snowed and the streets were terribly icy, and as he was headed toward his home at the base of that hill, he thought, One thing’s certain: that little old lady isn’t going to make it down the hill to church today. But when he got to the hill, he was amazed to see her, crawling carefully down on her hands and knees in the grass at the edge of the road toward the church. That morning, instead of falling into bed, the man sat at his kitchen table with a cup of coffee, thinking. What was inside that church that would make his neighbor crawl on her knees down an icy hill to find it? The answer, of course, is Jesus. In the Eucharist, we literally have God physically present among us: our Lord and Savior, our lover and best friend. It takes my breath away. *He* takes my breath away. I spent a lot of time reflecting on today’s psalm. How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me? the psalmist asks. The response? “To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the LORD.” Sacrifice of thanksgiving. In the Greek: eucharisteo. Sacrifice of the Eucharist. This is how we thank Christ for all he’s done for us, all he’s been to us: we offer him up again in the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Mass, we adore him in the Eucharist—because there is no other thanks that is worthy of what he’s done. He is the perfect sacrifice. He is the perfect thanks. He is our everything. And he’s right there, in every Catholic Church, physically and truly present, just waiting for us. That’s something worth crawling on my knees for. #MyMassTakeaway #eucharist #corpuschristi #catholicwife #catholiclife #catholicmom

A post shared by Bethany Hudson (@bakinghumblepie) on Jun 3, 2018 at 2:45pm PDT

Solemnity of Corpus Christi: In John 6, Jesus says that we have to eat His flesh and drink His blood if we are to have eternal life. And he lost a lot of followers that day! The Apostles said, “What are you doing?” and Jesus replied, “Are you going to leave, too?” The next line is one of my favorites in all of Scripture: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life.” If we are confident that Jesus says He is who He is, then we can take him at His Word that we receive both the physical and spiritual presence of Him in the Eucharist- the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord. Flannery O’Connor said, “If it is just a symbol, then to Hell with it.” I don’t want a symbol. I want Him fully spiritually and physically present to me. The reason why I veil in Mass is because of that full presence of Christ in the Church, it is a place set apart from any other place I enter during the day. Do you believe that Jesus is fully physically and spiritually present in the Eucharist? If we don’t, we may not be any better than what some non-Christians and some of our Protestant brothers and sisters say we are – idolaters. What do we do to reflect that we believe Jesus is present to us both physically and spiritually in the Eucharist? #mymasstakeaway #corpuschristi #ibelievehelpmyunbelief

A post shared by Mary Thissen (@mkthissen) on Jun 3, 2018 at 11:13am PDT

I’ve been thinking a lot about the word “covenant”. It’s definitely more than a promise: it’s more of a contract, I think. . God has given us so much. He’s made a covenant with us, and because of that we are bound to give something back. . But what? . Well, our kids, for starters. The gift of our time, too. We have so much to offer back and yet how often do we consistently think about holding up our end of the contract? . Not as often I should, at least on my end. . I think it’s time to remedy that. #mymasstakeaway #mysundaybest

A post shared by Ginny Kochis (@ginnykochis) on Jun 3, 2018 at 5:36pm PDT

#mymasstakeaway It’s been an interesting Sunday. I had decided that (with my hubby out of town) I would attend Saturday night mass (I did) and sleep in today. I envisioned a day of meditation on #corpuschristi and the scripture readings. Long walks on mountain paths and dwelling in the Lord. My reality this morning was my cat announcing at sunrise that it was time to WAKE UP, and it rained all day (so much for that mountain top walk). I ended up in numerous phone calls and text messages with my dad (farming stuff in Kansas), my husband (trying to sell a house we co-own with my son in Kansas – and convincing his room mates they really do have to leave – and take their “stuff” with them) and my future DIL and in-laws back and forth on all things wedding planning (two months to go!) 💜 Ah well. So what. God wasn’t in the wind, earthquake and storm today. He was just the still, small voice in the cave, waiting to be heard. 💜 While I could have grown frustrated about plans being derailed for my supposed peaceful, meditation filled Sunday, I am instead grateful that the good Lord decided to speak to my chaotic heart and say, “It’s really quite simple, Julie. I love you. I died for you. I know what it’s like to go to a wedding where you worry you will run out of wine. I know what it’s like to chase the money changers out of the temple. I know how it feels to have people all around you wondering how you will feed the 5,000. I know how much you long to be Mary but think you must be Martha right now. I know, because I was there. Worry, frustration, fear…are nothing next to me. They are the reason I give myself to dwell within you every single Mass. Because when you are weak, I will be strong enough to carry both of us.” 💜 The Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. He didn’t come to dwell with us on a perfect day sprinkled with good intentions. He chose instead to enter the world amid chaos and kingships and masses worried about what they would eat and drink on a hillside after His teaching. Because He loves us that much. To provide the wine at Cana. To cleanse the temple. To feed the multitudes. To carry me Home. 💜

A post shared by Julie Habiger (@sparksthroughstubble) on Jun 3, 2018 at 4:55pm PDT

It was the Eucharist that converted me. I sat there in the pew at Mass with my family and once Communion came around, I desired so much to receive Our Lord. It got to be overwhelming. Today is the Solemnity of Corpus Cristi; celebrating the Body and Blood of Christ. There have been tons of spiritual teachers up and down the ages. There have been thousands of gods worshipped. There have been prophets. But, never has there been The One God that wanted to give us Himself. Christ changes it all. He wants us to be in communion with Him, not just in a symbolic sense, but literally. It’s everything. Absolutely everything. Sure, God is everywhere, but when I go into a Catholic Church, He is there: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. It blows my mind and when I partake of the Eucharist, Christ flows through me. Folks, that is slap-dunk the most awesome thing on earth. The Eucharist is what moved my heart and brought me home. Once we understand the totality, our lives forever change.

A post shared by Amy Thomas (@catholic_pilgrim79) on Jun 3, 2018 at 5:04pm PDT

“Dile al Señor que crees en Su Presencia…” Esta frase del sacerdote es lo que me llevé de la Misa de hoy… y me aplicare para ponerla en practica. Porque nada que suceda en el exterior puede robarnos la paz, si nos sabemos en las manos de un Padre amoroso. Porque donde habita el Espíritu Santo, jamás caminaremos a oscuras. Porque nada sucede bajo el cielo que no sea parte de Su plan… Señor, creo en Tu Presencia. Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, ruega por México y por el mundo entero. ❤ #ElArbolMenta #SomosCatolicas #CompartiendoIdeas #ConquemequededelaMisa #MyMassTakeaway To Jesus, Sincerely

A post shared by El Arbol menta (@elarbolmenta) on Jun 3, 2018 at 7:10pm PDT

 

Your turn:

I want to know your Mass Takeaway too! Comment with your thoughts on the readings, your pastor’s homily, or anything that struck you during your time at Mass.