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The Body and Blood of Christ, Year C, June 10, 2007

First reading, Genesis 14:18-20

While Melchizedek (pronunciation) may have been a "priest of God Most High," remember that God was only beginning to reveal himself to Abraham in the special ways that would become the kernel of our tradition. So though the bread and wine mentioned are highly suggestive for us at this late date, it would be a mistake to read into this story more than the participants meant by their gestures.

Your Proclamation: The author's intention was to enhance the prestige of his ancestor Abraham, by telling of his exploits among his contemporaries (you can read the details leading up to today's passage here; and if you read the footnotes, you'll find interesting details about the term "God Most High"). Why would the author want to do that? To encourage his readers to hold up their heads among their contemporaries, to think of themselves as a people with a special calling from God, a people different from their many pagan neighbors. To be faithful to the author's intention, emphasize the praise that the foreigner Melchizedek heaps on Abram. Make Melchizedek sound like an old man who thought he had seen it all, but who is compelled to exclaim that this Abram has a really special relationship with God.

Second Reading, 1 Corinthians 11:23-36

As the larger context of 1 Corinthians 11 shows, Paul has to be very clear about his authority here because he's correcting the Corinthians severely. Misconduct at the Eucharist was one of several abuses for which the Apostle takes them to task, as readers of the whole letter, and of Lector's Notes pertaining to selections from it, know well.

To proclaim the death of the Lord is to confess one's faith in the whole mystery of Christ and all that he means for us.

Your Proclamation: The congregation listening to you is sure to be quite steeped already in the truth that Jesus gave bread and wine, declaring them to be his body and the new covenant in his blood. What you might try to let them hear anew is the doubled command, "Do this in remembrance of me." We're asked to do more than receive Jesus' gift, we're asked to do it. A pause before each such invocation would drive that home.

Several other commentaries on these passages. All are thoughtful, all quite readable, from the scholarly to the popular. Links may be incomplete more than a few weeks before the "due date."
Father Roger Karban's column from 2001, on these passages. And his 1998 essay on the same readings.	The Text This Week; links to homilies, art works, movies and other resources on the week's scripture themes	Saint Louis University's excellent Sunday liturgy-preparation site

The Lectionary selections in the frame at the left, if any, are there for your convenience. The publishers of the page in that frame have no connection, except for membership in the one Body of Christ, with the publisher of this page. Likewise the publishers of the pages on the links above.