Stice ‘The new covenant in my blood’

What did Christ mean by those words, and why does the covenant require His blood?

When Jesus gave the chalice to his disciples at the Last Supper, he told them, “This chalice is the new covenant in my blood” (1 Corinthians 11:25). This raises several questions. Why does He refer to a covenant? What does He mean by the “new” covenant? And why does it require His blood? In this month’s column I want to answer these three questions.

First, what is a covenant? In the ancient Near East culture of the Old Testament, “covenants between human beings existed in the forms of treaties, agreements, contracts, marriages as well as friendships.” Unique to the Bible, however, was the revelation of “a covenant between divine and human partners.” 1 God’s covenants with individuals (e.g., Noah, Abraham) and with Israel were not agreements between equals “but a pure gift of God. By this gift of His love, God bridges every distance and truly makes us His ‘partners.’” 2

When God led Israel out of Egypt into the desert, he bound himself to his people with a covenant on Mount Sinai. “From the covenant of Sinai onwards, this people is ‘His own,’ and it is to be a ‘holy nation,’ because the name of God dwells in it.” 3 The Sinai covenant is recounted in Exodus chapters 19-24: God manifested His glory on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19), gave the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), and stipulated the requirements of the covenant (Exodus 21-23), concluding with the promise of his blessings. The ratification of the Mosaic covenant, described in Exodus 24, consisted of three actions: the reading of the covenant, a sacrifice that sealed the covenant, and a sacrificial banquet that completed the sacrifice. First, Moses recorded the words of the Lord (verse 4) and read the book of the covenant aloud to the people (verse 7). Then he built an altar, sacrificed young bulls “as communion offerings to the LORD” (verse 5), splashed the altar, a symbol of God, and the people with the blood, symbolically uniting God and His people by the blood of the same victim, and told them, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words” (verse 8). Blood was an essential element because “the life of the flesh is in the blood…it is the blood as life that makes atonement” (Leviticus 17:11). Finally, Moses ascended Mount Sinai with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 70 elders, where “they ate and drank” (verse 11).

According to St. John Paul II, the three elements of the Mosaic covenant prefigured the definitive covenant in Christ’s blood. “By analogy with the Covenant of Mount Sinai, sealed by sacrifice and the sprinkling of blood, the actions and words of Jesus at the Last Supper laid the foundations of the new messianic community, the People of the New Covenant.” 4 On the night of his betrayal, Jesus gathered His apostles in the Upper Room, washed their feet, and gave them the “law” of the new covenant: to love one another as he loved them. He celebrated the Last Supper with them, instituting the Eucharist. He gave the apostles His body under the appearance of bread. He then gave them the chalice of His blood with these words: “This chalice, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20). The essential elements from Exodus 24 have now been definitively fulfilled by Christ: the covenant is proclaimed, sealed with the blood of the pure sacrificial victim, and consummated by a sacred banquet. This covenant is the definitive gift of God’s love that “bridges every distance.”

This leads to our second question: What does Jesus mean by a new covenant? This refers to the new covenant God promised through the prophet Jeremiah. “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah….I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:31, 33). The New Testament explains that this prophecy was fulfilled by the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 10:12-18). And finally our third question: Why the reference to blood? The sprinkling of blood that accompanied the Mosaic covenant prefigured Jesus pouring out His blood of “the new and eternal covenant,” the words of consecration spoken by the priest over the chalice. This is the blood that really and truly unites us to God.

The three elements that we identified in the Mosaic covenant and saw fulfilled at the Last Supper form the basic structure of the Mass: the covenant is announced in the Liturgy of the Word, the sacrifice of the covenant is renewed in the Eucharistic Prayer, and the covenant reaches its consummation in eucharistic communion.

“When we receive Him in Holy Communion,” says Pope Francis, “we renew our covenant with Him and allow Him to carry out ever more fully His work of transforming our lives.” 5 It is important to note that these distinct parts are integral and inseparable. “The celebration of Mass in which the word is heard and the Eucharist is offered and received forms but one single act of divine worship.” 6

Every time the Mass is celebrated, the new covenant that Christ instituted at the Last Supper is renewed and we are changed. “The renewal in the Eucharist of the covenant between the Lord and man, draws the faithful into the compelling love of Christ and sets them on fire.” 7

1 Pontifical Biblical Commission, The Bible and Morality: Biblical Roots of Christian Conduct, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2008, no. 17

2 Pope Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini, 22

3 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2810

4 John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 21

5 Pope Francis, Gaudete et Exsultate, 2018, no. 157

6 Lectionary for Mass, 10

7 Sacrosanctum Concilium, 10 ■

Father Randy Stice is director of the diocesan Office of Worship and Liturgy. He can be reached at frrandy@dioknox. org.

St. Stephen hosts 15th annual golf tournament

On a beautiful, foggy but ultimately sunny and dry morning of April 15, St. Stephen Parish in Chattanooga held its 15th annual golf tournament at Brainerd Golf Course. A record number of 82 golfers teed it up to raise more than $7,000 for parish ministries. Above, St. Stephen pastor Father Manuel Pérez hits one of the three honorary tee shots to start the tourney. At top-right is the first-place team of (from left) Chris Murphy, Sam Eberle, Jon Reinert, and Joe Reinert, which posted a score of 13 under par. At bottom-right, John Vannucci, Dot Durr, and Sharon Vannucci watch while Mike Durr sinks his putt.

Daily readings

Monday, May 1: Acts 11:1-18; Psalms 42:2-3 and 43:3, 4; John 10:11-18

Tuesday, May 2: Memorial of St. Athanasius, bishop and doctor of the Church, Acts 11:19-26; Psalm 87:1-7; John 10:22-30

Wednesday, May 3: Feast of Sts. Philip and James, Apostles, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Psalm 19:2-5; John 14:6-14

Thursday, May 4: Acts 13:13-25; Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25, 27; John 13:16-20

Friday, May 5: Acts 13:26-33; Psalm 2:6-11; John 14:1-6

Saturday, May 6: Acts 13:44-52; Psalm 98:1-4; John 14:7-14

Sunday, May 7: Acts 6:1-7; Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19; 1 Peter 2:4-9; John

14:1-12

Monday, May 8: Acts 14:5-18; Psalm 115:1-4, 15-16; John 14:21-26

Tuesday, May 9: Acts 14:19-28; Psalm 145:10-13, 21; John 14:27-31

Wednesday, May 10: Acts 15:1-6; Psalm 122:1-5; John 15:1-8

Thursday, May 11: Acts 15:7-21; Psalm 96:1-3, 10; John 15:9-11

Friday, May 12: Acts 15:22-31; Psalm 57:8-10, 12; John 15:12-17

Saturday, May 13: Acts 16:1-10; Psalm 100:1-3, 5; John 15:18-21

Sunday, May 14: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21

Monday, May 15: Acts 16:11-15; Psalm 149:1-6, 9; John 15:26–16:4

Tuesday, May 16: Acts 16:22-34; Psalm 138:1-3, 7-8; John 16:5-11

Wednesday, May 17: Acts 17:15 and

17:22–18:1; Psalm 148:1-2, 11-14; John 16:12-15

Thursday, May 18: Acts 18:1-8; Psalm 98:1-4; John 16:16-20

Friday, May 19: Acts 18:9-18; Psalm 47:2-7; John 16:20-23

Saturday, May 20: Acts 18:23-28; Psalm 47:2-3, 8-10; John 16:23-28

Sunday, May 21: The Ascension of the Lord, Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47:2-3, 6-9; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20

Monday, May 22: Acts 19:1-8; Psalm 68:2-7; John 16:29-33

Tuesday, May 23: Acts 20:17-27; Psalm 68:10-11, 20-21; John 17:1-11

Wednesday, May 24: Acts 20:28-38; Psalm 68:29-30, 33-36; John 17:11-19

Thursday, May 25: Acts 22:30 and 23:6-11; Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11; John 17:20-26

Friday, May 26: Memorial of St. Philip Neri, priest, Acts 25:13-21; Psalm 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20; John 21:15-19

Saturday, May 27: Acts 28:16-20, 30-31; Psalm 11:4-5, 7; John 21:20-25; vigil for Pentecost, Genesis 11:1-9; Psalm 104:1-2, 24, 35, 27-30; Romans 8:22-27; John 7:37-39

Pentecost Sunday, May 28: Acts 2:111; Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23

Monday, May 29: Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, Genesis 3:9-15, 20; Psalm 87:1-3, 5-7; John 19:25-34

Tuesday, May 30: Sirach 35:1-12; Psalm 50:5-8, 14, 23; Mark 10:28-31

Wednesday, May 31: Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Zephaniah 3:14-18; Isaiah 12:2-6; Luke 1:39-56 n

Pilgrimage sites will include the St. John Paul II Shrine, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America, and more. A Diocese of Knoxville seminarian, Daniel Herman, will join the group as a spiritual guide. Cost is $150 per person and includes lodging, transportation, two breakfasts, and pilgrimage materials. Travelers should bring extra cash for lunches and dinners out as well as for any donations they would like to make at the holy sites. Register, view a pilgrimage flyer, and see links to the websites of the two shrines and the monastery at dioknox. org/events/wyd-stateside-pilgrimage

For more information, contact Brittany Garcia at bgarcia@dioknox.org or 865-776-9635.

The Diocese of Knoxville Youth Ministry Office is offering the Reach Summer God Camp for all rising seventh- and eighth-graders July 24-27 and the Discover Summer God Camp for all rising fifth- and sixth-graders July 27-29, both at Adventure Ocoee in Ocoee, Tenn. Campers will be staying in air-conditioned bunkhouses. God Camp activities will include lake day inflatables, a water park (with wave pool, lazy river, and giant water slide), a high ropes course, an adventure race, outdoor sports, bonfires with s’mores, prayer services, skits, crafts, the celebration of Mass, team-building activities, group games, and time to simply enjoy camp. Some more camp highlights include four square, basketball, volleyball, capture the flag, and some surprise activities planned by the leaders. Youth at the camps can make new friendships, enjoy the great outdoors, and grow in their relationship with the God who created them. To register, download a camp flyer, or view medical-release and code-of-conduct forms and an Adventure Ocoee waiver, visit dioknox.org/ events/reach-camp-2023 or dioknox. org/events/discover-camp-2023

Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga is currently accepting applications for the 2023-24 academic year. Apply by visiting www.myndhs.

Parish notes continued from page B4 Ladner, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten; Mark Pettinati, first grade; Carolyn Rosato, second grade (first reconciliation and Holy Communion); Andy Ladner, third and fourth grades; Jenny Withem, fifth and sixth grades; Karen Booker, seventh and eighth grades; Karin Collins and Jamie Roberts, ninth through 12th grades; aides Jenny Giardiello and Chloe Prosak; and director of religious education Cindy Giardiello.

The parish again awarded the Ken Schroer Memorial Scholarship this spring.

Holy Trinity thanked Jefferson County High School students in the ServiceLearning class for volunteering at the church April 12. Alex Miranda, a senior and member of Holy Trinity, was the student project leader and spoke with pastor Father Jim Harvey and members of the church to set up the service activity. Lani O’Connor, their teacher and also a Holy Trinity parishioner, was excited that her students wanted to lend a hand at the church. Students painted the 17 pillars at the church and three benches, and they enjoyed working with Dave Orzechowski and Jamie Roberts, who prepped everything and supervised.

Holy Trinity’s Lenten meals raised $2,741 to held fund its feeding of those who help with the Appalachian Ministries summer building projects.

Newcomers: Bob Cosgrove, Michael and Barbara Leis, William and Dee Dee Paolercio

Notre Dame, Greeneville

The Hispanic ministry held a Mexican food sale May 6 in honor of Cinco de Mayo.

First communicants: Kody Ivan Cedillo, Olivia Reese Hodge, Jaylene Ramirez Hernandez, Robert Franklin Miller, Genesis Sarai Sanchez, Emma Scarlett Shortridge

Anniversary: Joseph and Susan Maloney (40) com and submit an online application. Contact Lisa Costello at 423-624-4618 or costellol@myndhs.com with any questions.

A Picture of Love retreat for engaged couples is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Sept. 22 and 23, at St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga. This marriage-preparation program is a supplement to a couple’s marriage formation with their parish priest or deacon.

Picture of Love explores the joys and challenges of living out the sacrament of matrimony with special focus on the importance of inviting Jesus to be the center of marriage and family life. The program will help each couple gain insights into their relationship as well as give them practical ideas and tools to help smooth their journey and become the “Picture of Love” to one another.

Meeting times are 6:45 to 10 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Cost is $150 per couple. Payment is due two weeks before the weekend.

For a registration form, visit dioknox. org/events/picture-of-love-retreat

Also at the website are three exercises: a personality test, a “love language profile for couples,” and a fillable budget worksheet. Couples are asked to complete the exercises in advance and bring them to the retreat—see the website for more details.

An Engaged Encounter weekend is set for Saturday, Sept. 30, at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa. Catholic Engaged Encounter is a weekend to plan for a sacramental marriage. It is designed to give couples an opportunity to talk privately, honestly, and intensively about their prospective lives together—their strengths and weaknesses; desires, ambitions, and goals; their attitudes about money, sex, children, and family; and their role in the Church and society—in a guided format. Cost of the weekend is $205 per couple, which includes a certificate good for a $60 discount on the couple’s marriage license in Tennessee. To receive a $60 discount, couples must attend a marriage-preparation weekend within one year of purchasing the

St. Elizabeth, Elizabethton

Parishioner Lilo Duncan has been named one of Milligan University’s 2023 Leaders in Christian Service for serving as a Christian leader who integrates her faith into her daily life.

The Evangelization Team from St. Elizabeth organized a seder meal for 45 parishioners in the parish hall on Holy Thursday. The traditional seder plate served included parsley, horseradish, celery, a hard-cooked egg, charoset, unleavened bread, and roasted lamb. The festival meal plate was grilled chicken, green beans, roasted potatoes, and cheesecake bites. East Tennessee folk dancers performed five traditional Jewish dances during the 1 1/2-hour event.

During Advent and Lent, the Knights of Columbus conducted food drives for Assistance and Resources Ministries (ARM) of Elizabethton as well as collections of baby items (diapers, wipes, formula, blankets, baby clothes, and such) for Catholic Charities of East Tennessee’s Pregnancy Help Center.

The Knights also conducted the Campaign for People with Intellectual Disabilities (“Tootsie Roll Drive”) in April at the Elizabethton Walmart. Money from that campaign is earmarked for specialeducation classes in Elizabethton and Carter County schools.

Several couples have celebrated special anniversaries during the latter months of 2022: Steve and Suzanne Hummel (40), Jack and Delores Arnett (60), John and Ruth Rodenhauser (50), Jimmy and Lisa Townsend (15), Jim and Janet Hunt (60), Patrick and Mercedes Burke (30), Joe and Debbie Alexander (45), David and Mary Bush (40), and Bob and Judy Kilby (20). Those in the early months of 2023 include Garrett and Evelyn Artz (25), Patrick and Fanessa Schneider (15), Matt and Kathleen Grubb (20), and Bill and Elaine Pate (55).

St. Patrick, Morristown Knights of Columbus Council 6730 will license. To register for a weekend or learn more, visit knoxville.engaged encounter.com or call Leslie Consoli at 865-803-6790.

A pilgrimage to Poland with Father Martin Gladysz is scheduled for July 17-26. The group will spend a day in Warsaw visiting the sites before continuing on to Czestochowa, where pilgrims will visit the Jasna Gora Monastery, the Treasury, and the famous icon of the Black Madonna, to which many miracles have been attributed. They will visit Wadowice, the hometown of Pope St. John Paul II, and visit his childhood home, and visit the church where he was baptized. They will visit the Shrine of Divine Mercy and visit St. Faustina’s convent chapel and her tomb, and have a tour led by one of the Sisters. Another visit will be to Europe’s oldest salt mine, which UNESCO has listed as a World Heritage Site. The mines are a unique place where many generations of Polish miners have created a world of underground chambers and decorated chapels carved out of salt, including the famous Chapel of St. Kinga. The group will visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Ludzmierz, the Niepokalanow Sanctuary, and the Franciscan Monastery, linked with St. Maximilian Kolbe, and have a chance to visit Auschwitz, where St. Maximilian Kolbe died a martyr. Other sites visited will be Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, a popular pilgrimage place for Pope St. John Paul II, and Zakopane, in the highlands of Poland, and the group will enjoy a peaceful river trip through the beautiful towering cliffs. Father Gladysz is from Krakow and is excited to be leading this pilgrimage to his homeland of Poland. For more information, contact Lisa Morris at 865-5671245 or lisam@select-intl.com

Join Father Alex Hernandez on a pilgrimage walking the Camino to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, from Aug. 29 to Sept. 8. Upon arrival in Santiago de Compostela, pilgrims will be met by their tour guide and depart for Sarria, the last point at which a pilgrim can start the journey and still complete the 100 kilometers needed to claim the compostela. The journey will follow a hold its annual Big Boys Toys Yard Sale on Friday, Aug. 18. Donors are asked to hold on to their items until the sale or bring them to the church. Call Mike Leonard at 423-353-0844 to make arrangements. For assistance in picking up and hauling items, call or text Dave Lande at 423-273-0976, Dan Pelligrin at 504-441-8177, or James Mach at 865475-1999. All proceeds will go toward upgrading the facilities and grounds at the church.

St. Patrick recently founded a Social Activities Committee to plan and host parish events.

Anniversaries: Luis and Carmen Crespo (64), Dan and Marion Byron (58), Michael and Marjorie Sandlock (51), Michael and Dawn Gibson (30), David and Yesenia Barboza (20), Kevin and Jennifer Dempsey (20), Brayan Lopez-Simeon and Melissa Ortiz (5), Ben and Kamryn Schnurbusch (5)

Smoky Mountain Deanery

Holy Ghost, Knoxville

The parish’s annual Easter Saturday Party took place April 15 on the field behind the church and featured an Easter egg hunt, field games, an “Emmaus cakewalk,” a soccer game, Vespers, campfire food, an Easter bonfire, Divine Mercy vigil sundaes, and music.

A Lenten retreat led by Father Joseph Hamilton, a former classmate of Holy Ghost associate pastor Father Michael Hendershott, was held April 3-5 in Henkel Hall.

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville

Paulist Fathers president Father René Constanza visited IC and St. John XXIII during Holy Week. He took part in the Good Friday service at IC.

The Knights of Columbus inducted their newest members May 7.

The parish thanked the IC Bees for their gift of $100 from the proceeds of pilgrim path that has existed since the ninth century. Mass and confession will be available daily. Cost is $4,199. To register, call 508-505-6078. To view full details and an itinerary, visit dioknox. org/events/pilgrimage-to-santiagode-compostela

Father Bill and Sherri McNeeley are leading a Holy Land pilgrimage Sept. 13-22 with an optional post-tour to Rome from Sept. 22-26. Places visited will include Tel Aviv, Caesarea, Stella Maris, Nazareth, Tiberias, Cana, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, Mount Tabor, Jericho, Jerusalem, Temple Model, Ein Karem, Bethlehem, Bethany, the Dead Sea, the Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, Mount Zion (Upper Room), the Western Wall, the Via Dolorosa, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. For more information, including pricing and a daily itinerary, visit www. pilgrimages.com/frmcneeley or contact Danielle at danielle@206tours. com or 800-206-8687.

A pilgrimage to Greece, including a four-day Aegean cruise, is set for Sept. 18-29. Join Glenmary Father Steve Pawelk “In the Footsteps of St. Paul” as pilgrims visit the places where St. Paul preached the Gospel—Thessaloniki, Philippi, Corinth, and Athens— and visit the Meteora Monasteries. The Aegean cruise stops on the islands of Mykonos, Santorini, Crete, Rhodes, and Patmos and will also visit the ancient city of Ephesus, featuring some of the most magnificent excavations in the world, and visit Mary’s house. For more information, contact Lisa Morris at 865567-1245 or lisam@select-intl.com

Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at noon each Sunday at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville; every Sunday at 8 a.m. at St. Mary Church in Athens; at 2 p.m. each Sunday at St. Mary Church in Johnson City; at 6 p.m. most Thursdays at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge; and at 11:30 a.m. every Sunday at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga. For more information, visit www.Knox LatinMass.net n their recent quilt show. More than 100 people came to vote for their favorite quilts.

The Ladies of Charity held an Easter basket fundraiser March 25 and 26 at IC. The Ladies thanked IC parishioners for their help in raising $1,638 through the event to help those in need.

First communicants: Charlotte Johnson, Charlee Smith, Celia McKenzie, William Zengel, Zane Denson

St. John XXIII, Knoxville

A parish appreciation dinner May 5 recognized all St. John XXIII volunteers, including readers, eucharistic ministers, music ministers, Sunday School teachers, Sunday Supper volunteers, VolAwakening staffers, VolCatholic executives, and more. Nancy Brennan Strange provided live music for the dinner.

The St. John XXIII Social Ministry Committee met in person for the first time in two years April 15 to plan the coming year. Pastor Father Don Andrie, CSP, met with seven members of the committee. Members agreed that their role is to encourage parishioners, informing them about Catholic Social Teaching and promoting collaboration with other parishes and religious organizations to serve those in need.

St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville

The Knights of Columbus presented a Silver Rose prayer service in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe on May 3.

The Knights will conduct their annual spring flower sale May 13 and 14.

Blessed John Paul II Council 15585 of the Knights gave a “Protecting Your Financial Future” presentation April 19.

Items are being accepted for the Knights’ fall yard sale. The Knights can make arrangements for picking up items. Call Ed Harless for more information at 423-494-4761. n

Notre Dame students accepted into Governor’s School

Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga congratulated three students for being accepted into highly competitive Governor’s School programs. (Pictured from left) Lena Nguyen will attend the School for Humanities at the University of Tennessee at Martin, Ayden Dant will attend the School for Integration of Biological and Statistical Sciences at East Tennessee State University, and Jonathan Polickoski will attend the School for Arts at Middle Tennessee State University.

Luke Smith leaves KCHS boys basketball program after one year

Knoxville Catholic head basketball coach Luke Smith is resigning his position as coach and personal finance teacher effective at the end of the 2022-23 school year.

In his one season at the helm of the basketball program, Mr. Smith’s Fighting Irish team went 20-8 and was defeated in the state tournament. Mr. Smith, a former Irish player, will be pursuing a coaching position at the collegiate level.

Mr. Smith said, “I am unbelievably grateful to Knoxville Catholic for giving me the opportunity to lead their basketball program. It was an honor getting to work with the players, teachers, and adminis-