Scripture Scribbles: June 2, 2024 - Corpus Christi
the Gospel
Mark 14:12-16, 22-26
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
when they sacrificed the Passover lamb,
Jesus’ disciples said to him,
"Where do you want us to go
and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
He sent two of his disciples and said to them,
"Go into the city and a man will meet you,
carrying a jar of water.
Follow him.
Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house,
'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room
where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"'
Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready.
Make the preparations for us there."
The disciples then went off, entered the city,
and found it just as he had told them;
and they prepared the Passover.
While they were eating,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, gave it to them, and said,
"Take it; this is my body."
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them,
and they all drank from it.
He said to them,
"This is my blood of the covenant,
which will be shed for many.
Amen, I say to you,
I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine
until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Then, after singing a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.
the devotion
I think about how often we separate ourselves because of illness.
How often we avoid those who are ill.
The world says those who touch lepers are foolish.
The world reminds them that they too might die.
I think about Jesus, knowing me and my illness, knowing my wounds and my sores. Even what I hide or cover.
I try to separate myself. (I’m sick afterall, aren’t we all?)
But he keeps his loving gaze on me. He doesn’t flinch at my state.
In fact, it is my state that inflamed his love.
He wants to make me well.
The God of the Universe could have worked my salvation a thousand ways I could never imagine.
He could have chosen to save me from a clean and tidy distance.
But he didn’t.
He who made my body to hunger for food and drink, to ache for tender touch and strong embraces, to be comforted by joined hands and laying cheek to chest and hearing a lover’s heart beat, by warmth of skin on skin, he chose to come as close as physically possible to me.
That is how he chose to save me.
He chose to offer his own body, blood, soul and divinity as food to every cell of my body and healing light to every corner of my soul.
Will I allow him to come this close?
On this Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ He asks, will you let me come closer?
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
Today’s devotion was written by Lucia Parker DeMarco
