In ancient sacrifice, god was held to be a guest. Once the flesh of an animal was offered to a god, it was held that he had entered into it and therefore when the worshiper ate it; he was literally eating god. When people rose from such feast they went out, as they believed, literally “god-filled”. Another symbol they also used in rituals is blood. They quickly discerned that if a creature bled enough, it dies. They thought that the essence of life was contained in the blood. And they believed that when they drink animal’s blood, the strength of that animal and perhaps even some of its attributes will be passed to them.

The making of the covenant in the Scriptures also involves blood. We heard it in the First Reading from Exodus. When Moses erected altar and offered animals, their throats were slit and their blood was collected. Then the blood was used to “seal the deal.” Since God initiated the covenant, Moses poured blood first on the altar and sprinkled the people with the remaining blood. God and people were bound into a covenant by that blood.

After Christ’s Last Supper, which is the start of his passion, he went out and cried hard in the garden of Gethsemane. But nonetheless he still submitted his will to the Father with great hope. When Christ taught us to pray, he said “Abba” Father. Abba is from the Greek word “krazo” meaning, “a person who is so intimate to me, who can give up his life anytime to defend me against danger.”

Whenever we receive the Eucharist (eat his body and drink his blood) we are also filled with God’s life. And we continue to nourish and strengthen his life in us by frequently receiving it.  If the very life of Christ is living within us, therefore all our values, thinking, lifestyle, and actions must be liken unto him. Every Sunday whenever we partake in the Eucharist we renew our “covenant” with God. Like the Israelites in the First Reading, we should try our best to be faithful to that covenant that no matter what happens, he will always be our only true God.

In the second reading, the priests in the OT had to offer sacrifices again and again, since they were all imperfect sacrifices. But in the NT, Christ offered one perfect sacrifice, when he offered his life on the cross. And because it was the “Perfect Sacrifice,” therefore he did only “once” and that is enough for the salvation of all. In our present Liturgy, we do not do another sacrifice. We make that one sacrifice of Christ in the Calvary present again in every Eucharistic celebration. Thus we enjoy its saving effect every time we celebrate the Holy Mass. It is good if we come before the opening song and leave the church after the final song. We have to participate actively in the whole celebration of the mass. Let’s make it a perfect celebration, because we are offering “the perfect sacrifice,” the “only one” acceptable to the Father.

In the Gospel he blessed the bread, broke it and gave it to his disciples. We, his people, share the same experience. We should learn how to “bless” the life that he gave us and “thank” the Lord for it. We should also be ready to be “broken” into pieces when the time for testing and trial comes. And out of our own “brokenness,” may we still find ways to share ourselves to other people. It is also true even with priests. Sometimes we also feel depressed, but when we are called to console others, we must be ready to get up anytime and help.