Today we hear a passage from the Gospel which has challenged many believers from the beginning. How can Jesus say that his flesh is to eat and his blood is to drink? It sounds absurd. From the very moment he said it, believers have fallen away from him, and this continues even today.
Jesus puts himself between us and the Father as the one who brings us to paradise. He is the mediator. Through him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. As the living bread from heaven, Jesus is our sustenance. And at the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Eucharist, so that we may truly eat and drink his body and blood for our salvation. What we celebrate at Mass is a repetition of the Last Supper, a re-dialing of its graces and gifting, carried out through the priest in the person of Christ. When we partake, we are the disciples sat at that table. And we are approaching Jesus in a truly close and intimate way.
We may not understand all that our faith is built upon. The transubstantiation, the Eucharist, are far from understandable and many have turned away when they cannot comprehend. But let’s do what Jesus asks, which is to take of his body, take of his blood. We have these Sacraments at our disposal for the good of our souls, so let us draw towards them and strive to develop our relationship with Jesus, our oneness in him.
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to John 6:51-58
Glory to you, O Lord
Jesus said to the crowd:
‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’
Then the Jews started arguing with one another:
‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they said.
Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood, you will not have life in you.
Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and 1 shall raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him.
As I, who am sent by the living Father, myself draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven;
not like the bread our ancestors ate: they are dead,
but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.’
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.