First Reading: Prv 9:1-6; Psalm: 34. R. v. 1; Second Reading: Eph 5:15-20; Gospel: Jn 6:51-58

THE MEAL THAT OFFERS THE VERY LIFE OF GOD

BY FR VALENTINE NNAMDI EGBUONU, MSP    

For the past three Sundays, our gospel readings have been from John’s gospel chapter six which has a central theme – Jesus, the Bread of Life. The last part of this gospel will be read next Sunday. There is a structure to this chapter of John’s gospel that carefully and interestingly explains the importance of this theme. This structure is progressive in character and gradually reaches a crescendo where Jesus made one of, if not the greatest revelation of all time. We shall progress gradually to see how Jesus slowly led the crowd to this great mystery of himself.

It all started with the miracle of the loaves. With few piece of bread Jesus fed five thousand men and collected twelve baskets leftovers; a sign that the ‘Living Bread’ keeps giving without being exhausted. But the crowd did not get the message and went in search of Jesus the following day for more bread. Knowing they are out of line, Jesus progressed a little further to put them in line; “Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you” (v 27).

Hearing this, the crowd wondered what kind of food Jesus speaks of. Could it be the same food their fathers ate in the wilderness by the hand of Moses? So they said to Jesus; “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’” (v 31). Jesus then progressed further and stated clearly that he was not speaking of the manna in wilderness which God gave to them but of himself. Hence Jesus said; “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst” (v 35).

As the crowd murmured on this teaching as to what Jesus meant (v 41); Jesus’ next revelation nears a crescendo which is the beginning of today’s gospel. Jesus said; “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.” Notice that Jesus have moved from “I am the bread of life,” “I am the living bread” to now reveal that this very bread which he speaks of, is his flesh. At this point, the Jews protested angrily; “How can this man give us his flesh to eat? (v 52). Cannibalism was scandalous to the Jews as they detested their pagan neighbours who were not over with human sacrifices.

Jesus reached a crescendo when he added; “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (v 53). This was even more repugnant to the Jews. They were like, “This man is obviously insane. We are yet to come to terms with his cannibalistic request; and he has the audacity to ask that we drink his blood as well.” The Jews had both a reverence and horror of blood. Blood was the source of life. It can also make one ritually unclean. To kill is forbidden. And to come in contact with human blood can make one ritually unclean. This explains why the priest and the Levite passed by the wounded man on their way to the temple in the parable of the Good Samaritan. So, this teaching of Jesus was very hard for them to take.

But these men totally misunderstood Jesus. Jesus’ offer of his flesh was not cannibalism but eternal life. He was not to offer it as they thought; which was why he began with the sacramental sign – ‘I am the Bread from heaven.’ And then gradually led them to the deeper reality of what this bread truly is – his true body and blood, soul and divinity; so that they may not accept it ignorantly. But the mystery behind this food which offers the very life of God scared the people away rather than draw them close. But to us who believe, Christ gave this food under the appearances of bread and wine that we might share in the fullness of his life.

Flesh and blood constitute a tangible person. So, in the Eucharist which is Christ’s gift of his flesh and blood, we share in the fullness of Christ. Christ gave us the gift of himself so that as he shared in our humanity, we might as well share in his divinity and in the great events of his salvific mission. What this means is that we now share in Christ’s Incarnation, Passion, Death, Resurrection and Glorification.

When we receive the Eucharist worthily, we share in Christ’s incarnation because henceforth just as St Paul said; “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; so the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). We share in Christ’s passion for the reason that suffering would come our way in living the faith which we must accept and endure. We share in the death of Christ, for by Christ’s death we have been given a new life that never ends. We share in the resurrection of Christ for Christ promised, “he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (v 54). And we share in the glorification of Christ for we shall partake in the eternal life of heaven.

It is consequent upon the rich benefits of this Eucharistic food that wisdom personified as a woman in our first reading of today invites the wise and humble to come and share in her banquet of bread and drink which prefigures the Eucharist. God himself is wisdom; and he is the one inviting us to share in the Eucharistic banquet, the very gift of Christ himself. In few minutes, we shall come forward to partake in this meal. We shall say “Amen” which means “Yes” or “I believe” as we receive the body of Christ. This response is a profession of faith in what the Eucharist is, and in what the Eucharist promises. So, it should not just be a flat “Amen.” We must mean what we say. Otherwise, we will not be different from the crowd who followed Jesus but do not know him or believed in him.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Lord Jesus, really and truly present in the Eucharist; deepen our faith in the Eucharistic promises and help us to partake in this sacred meal worthily as God’s believing people. Amen.