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Tag: Corpus Christi

  • Sustained by His Body and Blood: A Journey of Faith and Healing

    Sustained by His Body and Blood: A Journey of Faith and Healing

    As we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi, I want to share how my deep faith in a loving God and my devotion to the Eucharist sustained me during the most difficult phase of my life.

    I was diagnosed with gynecological problems, which led to two surgical procedures—one minor and one major. God gave me ample time to prepare myself physically, psychologically, financially, and most of all, spiritually. The power of prayer, letting go, and letting God—being humble enough to surrender everything to a powerful God—was deeply meaningful during this time.

    During my hospitalization, I was blessed to be confined in a private hospital run by religious sisters, so I did not miss receiving the Body of Christ daily. Another blessing was having a first cousin-in-law who is a Eucharistic Minister in our parish, allowing me to receive the Eucharist every Sunday until I was well enough to attend Mass physically.

    Receiving the Body of Christ sustained me during this period of rest and recuperation. It strengthened me to read three dissertations and three theses for final defense. Just two days after my hospital discharge, I found myself reviewing their manuscripts, writing comments and suggestions for improvement.

    In the midst of pain, I was still able to fulfill my responsibility as a member of the Research Committee by attending their final defenses online. Seeing the students on stage during the hooding and graduation ceremony made my heart leap with joy. I looked up to the heavens and offered my endless gratitude to God—for blessing the efforts of these students and for giving me the good health to do my part in the completion of their degrees.

    This, to me, is life-giving—paying forward the gift of wholeness. I am sharing the generosity I received from God by being generous with my time and talent.

    I was also able to read and evaluate outputs submitted by my students in our Learning Management System during the midterm period. By God’s grace, I submitted their grades to the faculty member who handled my classes in my absence.

    Alongside these tasks, I continued to fulfill my role as Director of the St. Clement’s Pastoral Care and Counseling Ministry by managing our Facebook page, where clients request appointments. Just yesterday, I conducted an online counseling session with a client. This ministry always brings me joy and a deep sense of fulfillment.

    Because Christ in the Eucharist offered His life so we may live, I see myself as His instrument of healing and recovery for those who are broken. Because Jesus gifted me with a second life, I am inspired to give life to others—to journey with them toward wholeness and joy. Everyone deserves to live a joyful and purposeful life.

    I am deeply grateful to God for guiding me in making decisions about my health. I also thank my workplace for being so supportive during my two-month leave from teaching and other responsibilities. My colleagues took over my classes and workload. I am especially grateful to my medical team—most especially my loving OB-Gyne—my family, close friends, and all the beautiful and kind souls who stood by me during this challenging chapter of my life.

    I am slowly but surely returning to my usual routine. I am back at work at my university because God sustained me and granted me a second life. My medical condition taught me powerful lessons about self-care, letting go, setting priorities and boundaries, the power of prayer, deep faith in God and Mama Mary, and not taking things personally. Most of all, it taught me to hold on to God’s faithfulness, which is powerfully manifested in the Holy Eucharist.

    May we always make Christ the center of our lives and attend Sunday Mass regularly. And as a result, may we always find joy in sharing ourselves with others, even when life is not easy or comfortable. There is true bliss in giving life to others.

  • Eucharist-Gifted

    Eucharist-Gifted

    June 22, 2025 – Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062225.cfm)

    There was once a man who desired to know the difference between heaven and hell. He went through a lot of painstaking investigation as to the distinction between heaven and hell. But in vain, because all he got were some descriptions, pictures and stories depicting about heaven and hell.

    One night in his sleep, he dreamed that he found himself in front of the Lord. The Lord asked him, “What is it that you desire?” He replied, “Lord, I like to experience the difference between heaven and hell.” So, the Lord said, “Go into that room.” So, he went into a room filled with sad, hungry, sick, weak and malnourished people. While observing around, he noticed that at the center of the room, there is a big pot of steaming delicious rice soup (arrozcaldo).

    However, he realized people could not enjoy the food because they are using spoons with long handle. He thought, “to eat your food using spoon with long handle must surely be hell.” Outside he told the Lord, “Now I know what hell is. How about heaven?” The Lord directed him to another room. Upon entering, he met happy, healthy and alive people, and he said to himself : “This must be heaven”. He also observed that at the center of the room lies a big pot of steaming hot delicious arrozcaldo, and also people were using spoons with long handle.

    Coming out from the room more confused, he then asked the Lord: “Now what’s the difference? Both are in the room with delicious food in their midst while using spoons with long handles to feed. How come people in hell are s and people in heaven are healthy?” The Lord replied, “Sadly people in hell never learned to use their spoons properly. Their long-handle spoons are meant to feed others than themselves. In heaven, people enjoys instead the food together by feeding each other and one another in kindness and communion.

    Our gospel today reminded us of the miracle of the multiplication of loaves. Although caused by Jesus, the miracle-happened is not only the multiplication of food and the feeding of multitudes but more so on the agape or communion: food-blessings shared and enjoyed by all.

    Same as today, people then must had bought their own meal for themselves to attend the big meeting and gathering. But as the people witnessed what Jesus did with the little bread kindly offered, blessed, distributed and shared with others, they were also inspired and move to offer, pray, and share in kindness the small food-baon they have with others.

    The real miracle then is the Agape-Communion, i.e. food-shared and the sharing in kindness of the food. Thus heaven be-like and miracles do happen whenever people share whatever little blessings that we have with one another & others in loving kindness.

    For the past three Sundays, we put value to the treasures the risen Lord has gifted us to sustain in our Christian daily lives. Jesus once said: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”.

    Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we come to believe and proclaim the TRUTH that our Lord Jesus is the Son of God, who makes us know and call our God as our Father, and thus we are God’s children. With the gift of the Holy Trinity, we learn the WAY to aspire for God’s love and life by glorifying our Father through the witness of the Son, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

    As shown to us by our Lord, the gift of His Body and Blood offers us the LIFE to nourish, sustain and direct our faith-life journey toward our heaven – God’s life and glory.

    Today the whole Church celebrates the Solemnity of Corpus Christi: the Body and Blood of Christ. This is to remind us that we are Eucharist-gifted, i.e. the Lord has given and left us the gift of Eucharist as life to live and follow as Christian.

    Our readings today reminded us that God has continually nourished us in Life. Through the Body and Blood of Christ, God offers us Jesus as our food to nourish and sustain us in daily faith-life journey. However, for miracles to happen and a taste of heaven be enjoyed in life, the Eucharist as food for our journey are meant to be shared in kindness with others and one another.

    In other words, food and graces given to us are not only meant for ourselves but must be blessed and shared in communion and kindness with others & one another in life as community of faith. The food and life God offers us through the Most Holy Eucharist then are meant to be in agape and communion with others and one another, and not to be keep only for oneself.

    We might say nowadays: “You are what you eat, and who you eat with” or “The food you eat reflects your identity and your company to keep.” Like, a vegetarian eats vegetables with vegetarians. Meat-eater parties with meat-eaters. Drinkers hangs-out with drunkards.

    In the same way, Catholics who attend and receive Eucharist regularly are spiritually healthy, happy, more kind and generous to share with others. Catholics however who rarely attend and receive Communion (as some would even prefer just to attend via live-streaming mass nowadays) tends to be spiritually weak, usually sad, stingy and selfish to share with others.

    Again for miracles to happen and for us to have a glimpse and taste of heaven in life, we must learn to properly receive our blessings by attending, taking and sharing Holy Eucharist with others and one another in community.

    As we are continually nourished by God through the Eucharist, the Life of the Body and Blood of Christ, may we be more inspired, nourished, and moved to share our faith and blessings in kindness and communion with others & one another.

    Hinaut pa unta. So May It Be. Amen.

  • MOVEMENTS LOVING AND SHARING LIFE

    MOVEMENTS LOVING AND SHARING LIFE

    June 2, 2024 – Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060224.cfm)

    The Barrio Fiesta we had last May 15 was truly moving and meaningful for me. The participation of every GKS (Gagmay’ng Kristohanong Simbahan) and Barrio Chapels and the presence of each one made so much impact for me. The spirit of sharing in that celebration no matter how simple the food we have shared, reminds us that we are a community.

    This is what we also find in many banquets that have happened in our friends and family celebrations. The gathering together of people and the sharing of gifts to one another brings us closer together.

    Yet, more than the Barrio Fiesta, the Eucharist that we now celebrate and partake is the very image of God’s invitation for us to share in his life where we are also invited the embrace and learn the movement of loving and sharing life.

    And so, on this Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, let us explore and discern the readings today and see how the Lord calls us to respond.

    The first reading from the Book of Exodus brought us back to people’s action of renewing the covenant they have with God. They recognized that they have transgressed against God. This acknowledgement of human sin, led them to ask pardon. The blood of the sacrificial animals symbolized the cleansing and renewal of the people’s heart.

    At the end of the reading, we were also reminded that it was God who made such covenant, meaning, it’s God’s initiative to be reconciled and be closer to the people. The response of the people who were being renewed must be understood then as an act of thanksgiving because the Lord remains merciful and faithful.

    This is reechoed in today’s Psalm, “To you O Lord, I will offer sacrifice of thanksgiving and I will call upon the name of the Lord.” This is certainly a song of praise and thanksgiving because of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Indeed, the “cup of salvation” is the assurance and promise of a blessed life.

    The Letter to the Hebrews gives more light to this. Christ as our High Priest offered the ultimate sacrifice. The sacrifice was not anymore of the blood of animals but his own blood shed on the cross. The oblation of the life of Christ paid off every transgression that we have done so that we will be able to share that blessed life with God, our eternal inheritance.

    This very act is again, God’s initiative. This is how God’s faithfulness and goodness are concretely shown to us as God’s beloved people. This tells us now that God never stops and never tires to bring us closer to God’s holy and loving presence. The Lord even initiated to offer his life for our sake. No matter how difficult it is to understand and illogical it may sound, but this is how love can move the heart of God.

    That is why, in the Gospel of Mark, he recounted how Jesus did that Last Supper. Jesus must have done it many times before this. Yet, this time it was made extra especial because of what he was about to offer for us.

    Jesus with his powerful words says to us, “This is my body; This is my blood of the new covenant.” The Lord shares to us now his very life. His body and his blood means his very life, the very life of God.

    And this is how we find it more interesting and meaningful. What Jesus offered to us was first being blessed, then, given thanks, then, broken and then shared. These are movements of loving and movements of sharing life to the fullest.

    This is what we also do now in this Eucharist, this Holy Mass. What we do is not merely rituals of the past. What we do is not just some sort of ancient actions. What we do is a celebration of life and continual sharing of love and life to us who are all invited by the Lord.

    And since it is common in our culture to brings something after the banquet, there are three things that I would like you to bring. These are your bring-house or take-aways.

    First, be nourished by this celebration. This nourishment is not just limited physically but in all aspects of our life. Remember, what is being shared to us is the very life of Jesus. Let this nourishment make us more aware of God’s presence in our life and in the lives of others. Let Jesus nourish us as well that our actions and words may become more like him.

    Second, move to love. God’s initiative to be closer to us is God’s movement of loving. Let us be always conscious that our actions and decisions in life be our ways of loving and not ways of destroying or hurting others.

    Third, move to share. Do not be afraid or have doubts to be truly generous of your time, presence, talents or resources. The Lord has given his life and blessings to us, may our actions and words be truly generous. Thus, share without “strings attached,” without expectations and without payment. May we always have the courage and the desire to share our life to our communities. Hinaut pa.

  • Meal-Fellowship

    Meal-Fellowship

    June 2, 2024 – Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060224.cfm)

    In almost every Filipino homes there is a picture of Last Supper near the dining table. Have you ever wondered why in all places such picture of the Lord’s last supper is hanged near the dining table?

    This is because we, Filipinos love celebrations. We like to be part of big party or fiesta. Basically, we are meal-oriented people. We like to eat, and mealtimes are important and meaningful activity for us. Yes, we like to eat, but we like to eat TOGETHER. We eat not only for nourishment but for the fellowship as well. For us, eating is not only a usual routine of nourishing our own physical body, but also a common activity of strengthening relationship and bonding.

    That is why we eat together not for the food, but for the companionship and covenant it brings. Mealtime for us is not only the time to eat, but also the opportunity to encounter – to experience one another. This is why we don’t like to eat alone. We like to eat with companion, because for us, meals, eating, tables would mean celebrations, table-fellowship, sharing, bonding, rituals, and communion.

    The word ‘companion’ is an interesting word. It comes from two Latin words: cum which means “with”, and panis which means “bread”. So a ‘companion’ literally means someone whom I share bread with. And it is only a few (not all) you enjoy having meal with. There has to a bonding – a relationship first, which is deepened by the sharing of food and drink.

    Usually, by inviting a person to a meal, we seal our contracts, we show acceptance and approval. We know that once you are invited to take part in their table – to eat with them, it would mean that you are already accepted. You become one of them. You belong to them.

    This is why we like the picture of the Last Supper hanging on near our dinner table because we want to be part of Lord’s celebration of life. Taking our meals in front of the picture of the Last Supper, whatever the food is, whether lechon   or bulad or ginamos, would mean we want to be a companion of Jesus and his disciples in their party celebration.

    This is why it is also particularly difficult for us to not able to attend Holy Mass during pandemic & how insufficient it is, just to take part of the Holy Mass through the live-streaming. This is also why it is grave sin for us to miss & not attend Sunday Eucharist. In other words, we do like to renew and strength our faith-relationship with Him.

    We want to be accepted and belong to His community. We like to be part of His family-banquet, His party. And all of these are greatly done and signified until now in our table-fellowship in the Lord’s Eucharist, in our celebration of the Holy Mass.

    Today, we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ. Today, we recognize and celebrate Christ’s continuing Presence and His binding promise of love and redemption to us, through His gift of Himself in a form of bread and wine, and above all our taking part & our fellowship-party with Him in the banquet of our Christian faith & life.

    Our readings today remind us that as in life we feed ourselves with food, the Lord also feed us with His food, not only to nourish us but also to strengthen our covenant relationship with Him. Jesus in our gospel today especially has offered us His body and blood, as our inheritance of God’s manna in the Holy Eucharist.

    By sharing us Himself in body and blood, Jesus sealed us new covenant-relationship with God. And because of this, we are continually nourished by God’s graces and we are in communion with Christ’s eternal life. In other words, through His body and blood, Jesus is offering us not only God’s food for our faith-life journey but also a meal-time party (or a food trip) with God.

    That is why every time we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, we are in covenant or in companionship with God, with Jesus, and with one another. Thus, through our table-fellowship as family and community in our celebrations of the Lord’s Eucharist every Sunday and also as Filipino in front of the picture of the Lord’s Supper, we are united with the Lord and we take part with His glory and work of redemption.

    Perhaps if we say nowadays, “We are what we eat and who we eat with” (Tayo ay Kong ano ang kinain at sino ang kasama), in attending Eucharist, we as Christian proclaim that through the body and blood of Jesus we are having party-meal (food trip/ breaking bread) with God now and always.

    For those who are not able to receive communion during live-stream Masses, nowadays they would pray Act of Spiritual Communion of St. Alphonsus, saying “I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart… Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.”

    Such words express our deep desire to be in communion with Jesus, to be part and companion of His eucharistic sacred life.

    We pray that we may always be in communion & in companion with our risen Lord, be nourished by His body & blood, and be always united & bonded, not separated from His love & mercy.

    So Help Us God, So May it be. Amen.

  • Banquet

    Banquet

    June 11, 2023 – Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061123.cfm)

    In almost all of Filipino houses there is a picture of Last Supper near their dining table. Have you ever wondered why in all places such picture of the Lord’s last supper is hanged near the dining table?

    This is because we, Filipinos love celebrations. We like to be part of big party or fiesta. Basically, we are meal-oriented people. We like to eat, and mealtimes are important and meaningful activity for us. Yes, we like to eat, but we like to eat together. We eat not only for nourishment but for companionship as well. For us, eating is not only a usual routine of nourishing our own physical body, but also a common activity of strengthening relationship and bonding. That is why we eat together not for the food, but for the companionship and covenant it brings. Mealtime for us is not only the time to eat, but also the opportunity to encounter – to experience one another.  This is why we don’t like to eat alone. We like to eat with companion, because for us, meals, eating, tables would mean celebrations, table-fellowship, sharing, bonding, rituals, and communion.

    The word ‘companion’ is a lovely word. It comes from two Latin words: cum which means “with”, and panis which means bread. So a ‘companion’ literally means someone whom I share bread with. And it is not everyone that you enjoy having meal with. There has to a bonding – a relationship first, which is deepened by the sharing of food and drink. Usually, by inviting a person to a meal, we seal our contracts, we show acceptance and approval. We know that once you are invited to take part in their table – to eat with them, it would mean that you are already accepted.  You become one of them. You belong to them.

    This is why we like the picture of the Last Supper hanging on near our dinner table because we want to be part of Lord’s celebration of life.  Taking our meals in front of the picture of the Last Supper, whatever the food is, whether lechon or bulad or ginamos, would mean we want to be a companion of Jesus and his disciples in their party celebration. Meaning, we like to renew and strength our faith-relationship with him. We want to be accepted and belong to His community. We like to be part of His family-banquet, His party. And All of these are greatly done and signified until now in our table-fellowship in the Lord’s Eucharist, in our celebration of the Holy Mass. 

    Today, we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ. Today, we recognize and celebrate Christ’s continuing Presence and His binding promise of love and redemption to us, through His gift of Himself in a form of bread and wine.

    Our readings today remind us that as in life we feed ourselves with food, the Lord also feed us with His food, not only to nourish us but also to strengthen our covenant relationship with Him. Jesus in our gospel today specially has offered us His body and blood, as our inheritance of God’s manna in the Holy Eucharist. By sharing us Himself in body and blood, Jesus sealed us new covenant-relationship with God.

    And because of this, we are continually nourished by God’s graces and we are in communion with Christ’s eternal life. In other words, through His body and blood, Jesus is offering us not only God’s food for our faith-life journey but also a meal-time party (or a food trip) with God. That is why every time we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, we are in covenant or in companionship with God, with Jesus, and with one another. Thus, through our table-fellowship as family and community in our celebrations of the Lord’s Eucharist every Sunday and also as Filipino in front of the picture of the Lord’s Supper, we are united with the Lord and we take part with His glory and work of redemption. 

    Perhaps if we say nowadays, “We are what we eat and who we eat with” (Anong kinain at sino ang kasama ay Tayo), in attending Eucharist, we as Christian proclaim that through the body and blood of Jesus we are having party-meal (food trip/ breaking bread) with God now and always.

    Today is a great celebration, a great salu-salo, kainan or fiesta party in the whole Church. This is the day that we, as Church renew and strengthen our covenant-relationship, our companionship with God by breaking and sharing God’s manna, the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ with one another. May we as community of Christ-believers always be nourished by God and remained bonded with God through the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.