Sunday 19 June 2022 (’01): THE BODY & BLOOD OF CHRIST : C
1. GEN 14 : 18-20
- Read 14: 1-24 The skirmish of the 5&4 Kings, in which Lot is captured! & then rescued by his uncle Abraham! So, where does Melchizedek suddenly come from?
- ‘El-Elyon/GodmostHigh’!: One of the many Canaanite divinities!
- ‘Tithe’ If Salem is the later ‘Jerusalem’, this offering of the’tenth’ to ThePriest-King may serve to legitimate the latter claims of TheTemplePriesthood to ‘tithes’!!
- ‘Bread&Wine!’. Gesture-of-hospitality that TheFathers referred to ‘TheEucharist’ !
- What about those ‘blessings’ (what!) of ArmiesBannersGunsParadesHostilities .. ?
- What aspects of bible-dynamics does the interpolation of Melchizedek alert me to ?
2. THE PSALM : 109 1-4
- Read 109(110) 1-7! Dialogue of Kingavid 7 ZadokTheHighPriest!
- ‘Prince/Priest!’: where in my world is there a similiar mutual acknowledgement of the sacred&saecular power? perhaps with an appeal to divine patronage?
- & where is the antagonism of ‘theocratic’ & ‘democratic’ most clearly evident?
- How might we critically assess models of authority deriving from TheTemple?
- ‘FoesUnderYourFeet!’ Is ‘Christianity still espousing&feeding-on such slogans?
- Especially the fantasies accompanying regal trappings&prerogatives!
3. 1 COR11:23-26
- This ritual narrative! the most familiar&controverted&bloodsoaked of all!
- Read 11:2-34! His Reminders&Strictures&Premonitions about TheHouseWorship!
- Why did the struggle about ‘transsubstantion’ come into prominence at all ?
- Subsequently, why did it become so bitterly divisive? & eventually, so irrelevant ?
- How does thise’Eating&Drinking’ usefully ‘ portrayHisDeath’ ?
4. LK9 11-17
- Read EXOD 16: 1-35′ In truth, where does food come from ? & hat’s it for ?
- Why do TheTwelve/TheDisciples show such reluctance to feed the people ?
- What about the ‘rationalisations’ of this ‘exodus narrative’ ? That He’d previously stached food in a nearby cave ? Or, that they all shared their sandwiches ?
- In my world,
How are we ensuring adequate sustenance for all the people ?
In what ways if food being wasted or spoiled or abused ?
Is all foood ‘eucharistic’, & each Eucharist ‘truly food’ ?
5 The presence & action of the BlessedOne, is it like this ?
THE HUNGRY THEIR SHOUTS FOR HIS BREAD
THOU! OUR BELLIES ROT FROM BLOATED RHETORIC!
THOU! ALL THE EUCHARISTS, STILL WE STARVE!!
THOU! PERCEIVE THE DESPAIR, THE DESPERATE MOTHERS!
THOU! WE YEARN THE POWER OF YOUR BLOOD&BODY
THOU! WE LOOK TO YOUR SATED DISCIPLES FOR CRUMBS!
THOU! IN VAIN THE PIETY, IN VAIN THE CULT!
THOU! WHAT PRICE FAITH IN-FAMINE!
THOU! WHEN WILL YOU BLESS THE BREAD&FISH!
THOU! OUR BREAD-FROM-HEAVEN BE BREAD-FROM-EARTH!
6. RIDDLE TheBody&Blood! A kind of blessing? An occasion of power?
An ancient ritual? A feeding for dangerous work?
Refections and comments can be emailed to adbi@chokmah.ie