Dear Friend,
This Sunday is Corpus Christi Sunday (John 6:51-58).
In its Gospel, Jesus is teaching His disciples about the Eucharist the "sum and summary of our faith" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no.1327), so that every disciple must understand and accept it. Unfortunately when Jesus was teaching them at that time, many disciples found it hard to accept (v.60) and had left Him (v.66). The Twelve, however, stayed.
Please read it first to your family and try to absorb what Jesus was saying to His disciples about the Eucharist.
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"I am the living bread that came down from heaven ..." Bread is eaten to sustain life. The Jews were familiar with the "manna" that sustained them through their journey in the desert to the Promised Land. Jesus referred to Himself as the one to bring them to the Father.
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"... whoever eats this bread will live forever;" Jesus first talked to a Samaritan woman about living water in a person that "will
become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14) The result of accepting Jesus is not temporary but is lasting.
Jesus told His disciples that with Him, they will find rest (Matthew 11:29).
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"... and the bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." Jesus will give Himself, no less. And to give ones flesh, like a sacrificial lamb, is to die. Jesus would later connect this with His teaching on the Paschal Mystery His passion, death, and resurrection, as a sign of His love. But the Jews who were listening cannot accept eating His flesh and drinking His blood. (v. 52-53) The Jews never felt the love of Christ as they were not open to Him, so they rejected Him.
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"For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me." The Twelve could not understand this either but they had felt the love of Jesus and they stayed with Him. (v.68-69)
It would be much later after Jesus had prepared them to know this Mystery that He would explain during the Last Supper how, through the action of the Holy Spirit, the bread and wine would convert into the Body and Blood of Jesus. (Luke 22:14-22)
Let us listen to the response of Peter to Jesus: "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God." (v.68-69)
As when Jesus called Peter to follow Him, He prepared Peter to respond to His bidding. How did Jesus prepare Peter this time to believe and be convinced? Let us look into the recent events preceding His teaching on the Eucharist.
First was the feeding of about five thousand people with five barley loaves and two fish. The disciples knew what Jesus did as they were the ones who distributed the food to the crowd. (John 6:14)
The next one was when the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea. (John 6:19)
These two events showed the power of Jesus over matter (the loaves, fish and the sea).
This time, Jesus was telling the disciples to eat His flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life. The Twelve may not yet understand how, but they believed Him. They knew that Jesus loved them.
Meditation ~
Jesus is also telling me to eat His flesh and drink His blood.
I now know that Jesus is giving me true food and true drink in the Eucharist.
He prepared me to partake in this celebration so that I may also respond in faith.
As the Twelve, I have to be aware how Jesus love me so I may be open to His graces.
How did Jesus show His love for me, that I may cherish His love and remain in His love?
Contemplation ~
Imagine yourself with Peter that day in Capernaum. Listen to Jesus tell the disciples:
"For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him."
Remember to remain in Jesus as each one receives the Eucharist this Sunday.
Joe & Charito
THE CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF MANILA'S
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