Whoever eats this bread will live forever

Dear Friends,

Every 3 years, in Lectionary Cycle B, we interrupt the proclamation of Mark’s gospel for several consecutive weeks in the summer to hear and to contemplate the sixth chapter of John’s gospel — the Bread of Life Discourse. This weekend, we are about halfway through. In this week’s gospel reading, Jesus “doubles down” on his claim to be the Bread of Life:

      “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is             my flesh for the life of the world.”

The Jews who heard this “quarreled among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ Jesus does not back down at all:  

      “...unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and           drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.”

As Catholics, we take Jesus at his word and believe that the bread and wine offered at mass are transformed into the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ, given to us to nourish us spiritually as we work in service to one another and to the world, to build God’s kingdom.

I am one who identifies with the quarreling Jews of Jesus’ time, wondering how this can be. Fr. Patrick’s remarks during his homily at First Communion celebrations a couple of months ago are helpful. To paraphrase, he says that the Holy Spirit transforms the bread and wine, and that no one can understand nor explain how. Happily, Jesus commands “take and eat” rather than “take and understand.” So when we partake, we trust in Jesus’ promise to be with us always, and to feed us so that we may have eternal life.

In the first reading this weekend from Proverbs, Wisdom (a symbol for the Holy Spirit?) invites us “whoever is simple” to “Come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have mixed!” This invitation is given specifically to “the one who lacks understanding.”
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In the responsorial psalm (34) we are invited (exhorted?) to “taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” In none of the verses of that psalm are we invited to understand anything. Rather, we’re called to “bless,” to “glory,” to “extol,” to have “sought,” to “look to him,” to “call out,” and to be saved from all distress. 

Eucharist comes from a Greek word meaning “to give thanks.” I think that the gift of Jesus’ body and blood, available to us every single day, is more than enough reason for us to do just that.


Siempre Adelante,


Dominic MacAller
​Worship Minister 

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