In this Sunday’s gospel (John 6:51-58—20th Sunday in Ordinary times, Year B), Christ gave the most consequential teaching of His ministry on earth. Jesus said to the crowds: "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, totally misunderstanding this, got upset with Him saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" to which Christ answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, 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 whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him…. Unlike your ancestors who ate [manna] and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."
My friends, we can put people into two groups in terms of how we look at life. There are those who believe that life is all about this world—what we can eat and drink and have. There are also those who believe that this world is not all that there is. There is a better and greater place we are going. If one believes, with the first group, that we are just human being having a human experience on earth, then this teaching of Christ makes no sense, because there is nothing to look forward to or hope for after we die, and we all receive communion and still die. If on the other hand, we believe with the other group that we are spiritual beings just having a temporary human experience on earth, then this teaching makes a whole lot of sense because it is addressing a bigger picture of life—eternity. Christ’s assurance, that whoever eats this bread, (His Body) and drinks this wine (His Blood) will never die, is directed, not to this life but to eternal life; an assurance that such a person will not die unto condemnation.
In John 10:10, Christ said that “I have come that they may have life and have it in its fullness”. In order words, He is saying, I have come that they may have the fullness of life, here on earth, and the fullness of life, hereafter in heaven. So, this teaching, which the Jews quarreled with and which many people, even today, doubt and despise, is truly an invitation to have the best of two worlds: live and enjoy the fullness of life here on earth guided by the spirit of Christ-the spirit of compassion, love, forgiveness, mercy, care, and believing that Jesus Christ is the only Begotten Son of God, our Lord and Savior, and secondly, to receive Him in Holy Communion, his true Body and Blood unadulterated, which guarantees our salvation and eternal life.
Christ accomplished this giving of His Body and Blood in the form of bread and wine at the institution of the Holy Eucharist when He took Bread and declared, “This is my Body, given up for you” and took wine and declared, “This is my Blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sin” and then urged them, “Do this in remembrance of me”. Consequentially, Holy Communion contains the totality of Christ crucified. So, everything that the passion, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ was designed to accomplish and whatever effect it has on sin, the sacrifice of the Mass and Holy Communion also has it. Therefore, whatever damage our sins have done to our life, Holy Communion can repair it and whatever damage our sins have done to our relationship with God, Holy Communion can fix it. That is why, Christ said that Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day”.
My friends, we cannot allow our ego and pride and lack of trust in the God of impossibility to keep us away from the gateway of salvation. Let us freely and with total faith and trust submit to Jesus Christ and the gift of His Body and Blood in Holy Communion.
This is why, one of the most powerful prayer moments in the life of any Christian is Adoration of the Holy Eucharist because in the presence of the Eucharist, we have before us, truly and substantially, the power of the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, and we receive, in a very unique and mysterious way, the incredible spiritual strength and nourishment that is contained therein. Like a magnet, The Lord draws us to Himself and gently transforms us."
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