body language
“One was seated at the head and the other at the foot of the place where Jesus’ body had lain.” —John 20:12
When two angels asked St. Mary Magdalene why she was weeping, she responded: “The Lord has been taken away” (Jn 20:13). She meant that the Lord’s body was no longer in His tomb. Mary Magdalene was so preoccupied with Jesus’ body that she seemed not to have paid much attention to the “two angels in dazzling robes” (Jn 20:12). When Jesus, Whom she thought was the gardener, asked Mary why she was weeping, she replied that she would carry Jesus’ body away, if He told her where His body was located (Jn 20:15). Then, when Jesus said Mary’s name, Mary recognized Him and reached out to embrace Jesus.
If we are to meet the risen Christ, we must love Jesus in His glorified Body in heaven, His Body the Church (Eph 5:25), and His Eucharistic Body. Let us recognize the risen Jesus through the ministry of Christ’s Body the Church and through the breaking of bread (Lk 24:30-31), that is, the Body of Christ.
Love the Church. Love the Mass. Love the Body of the risen Christ.
Prayer: Father, before I receive the risen Christ in Holy Communion, may I respond with resounding, deep faith to the words of the priest, “the Body of Christ.”
Promise: “You must reform and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, that your sins may be forgiven; then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. It was to you and your children that the promise was made.” —Acts 2:38-39
Praise: Praise Jesus, truly present in the Eucharist! “O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine!”
Reference: (God wants to meet us in the Sacraments to pour His love on us. Join us for the retreat Intimacy with God, May 16-17, to grow in your desire to meet Him there. Call 513-373-2397 or see www.presentationministries.com to register or for details.)
Rescript: "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from April 1, 2025, through May 31, 2025. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio September 4, 2024"
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.