Every Sunday, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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There is no doubt that in John chapter 6, our Gospel reading for today, Jesus makes his teaching on the Eucharist very clear, but not without some serious push back.
He said to the assembled crowd, “I am the living bread that came down from Heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
Then Jesus adds these quite astonishing words, “And the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” He equates he body with food that must be eaten.
This radical statement of Jesus causes some of those who had followed him before to quarrel among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Jesus will not step back from this teaching. He will not alter or soften it. He will not say that the bread he gives is “like” his flesh. He presses them further to make it very clear, saying, “For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.” He again adds that the food of his flesh and blood is necessary for the journey to eternity.
Although not a part of our passage today, a little later in the same chapter we find that many of the disciples stopped following Jesus because his teaching was too difficult for them to believe (see John 6:66).
Next, he turned to his remaining disciples and gave them an opportunity to leave him too, saying to them, “Do you also wish to go away” (John 6:67)? Simon Peter responded, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69).
Sadly, today, there are many who no longer follow Jesus because his sayings are too difficult, like his teaching on his real presence in the Eucharist, but we stay with him in the Church he founded precisely because we have encountered him, and in a very special way we have come to know him in the sacrament of Holy Communion.
Today, on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, may we open our hearts to him who gave his flesh and blood to us to eat so that we might live forever, someday even as saints.
And as we continue our Eucharistic Revival, may we also come to believe with greater intensity that Christ is always present to us under the signs of bread and wine that have been transubstantiated at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass into his Body and Blood.
Have a blessed week everyone.
olemnity of the Body and Blood or Christ (Corpus Christi)– June 11, 2023
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061123.cfm
There is no doubt that in John chapter 6, our Gospel reading for today, Jesus makes his teaching on the Eucharist very clear, but not without some serious push back.
He said to the assembled crowd, “I am the living bread that came down from Heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
Then Jesus adds these quite astonishing words, “And the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” He equates he body with food that must be eaten.
This radical statement of Jesus causes some of those who had followed him before to quarrel among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Jesus will not step back from this teaching. He will not alter or soften it. He will not say that the bread he gives is “like” his flesh. He presses them further to make it very clear, saying, “For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.” He again adds that the food of his flesh and blood is necessary for the journey to eternity.
Although not a part of our passage today, a little later in the same chapter we find that many of the disciples stopped following Jesus because his teaching was too difficult for them to believe (see John 6:66).
Next, he turned to his remaining disciples and gave them an opportunity to leave him too, saying to them, “Do you also wish to go away” (John 6:67)? Simon Peter responded, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69).
Sadly, today, there are many who no longer follow Jesus because his sayings are too difficult, like his teaching on his real presence in the Eucharist, but we stay with him in the Church he founded precisely because we have encountered him, and in a very special way we have come to know him in the sacrament of Holy Communion.
Today, on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, may we open our hearts to him who gave his flesh and blood to us to eat so that we might live forever, someday even as saints.
And as we continue our Eucharistic Revival, may we also come to believe with greater intensity that Christ is always present to us under the signs of bread and wine that have been transubstantiated at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass into his Body and Blood.
Have a blessed week everyone.