Acts 9:1-20
Psalm 117:1.2
John 6:52-59 Full Readings
Saint George
Jesus, The Bread of Life
Brethren, from the first reading, we see that God can use any one for his glory and for the proclamation of his Gospel, despite the sinful past and unfaithfulness to the covenant. Obviously, the saint has a past, and a sinner has the future. Saint Paul who was the chief persecutor of the church is now made an instrument of God to carry his name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel, and God even promised that he will show him what he will have to suffer for His (God) name. Us too can be like St Paul, let us always be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in us, who invites us daily to be witnesses to the Gospel through our life, words and deeds.
In today's Gospel, Jesus offers himself as "food and drink." The Jews were scandalized and the disciples were divided when Jesus said "unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you." What a hard saying, unless you understand who Jesus is and why he calls himself the bread of life. The miracle of the multiplication of the loaves (John 6:3-13), when Jesus said the blessing, broke and distributed the loaves through his disciples to feed the multitude, is a sign that prefigured the superabundance of the unique bread of the Eucharist, or Lord's Supper. The Gospel of John has no account of the Last Supper meal (just the foot washing ceremony and Jesus' farewell discourse). Instead, John quotes extensively from Jesus' teaching on the bread of life.
In the Old Covenant bread and wine were offered in a thanksgiving sacrifice as a sign of grateful acknowledgment to the Creator as the giver and sustainer of life. Melchizedek, who was both a priest and king (Genesis 14:18; Hebrews 7:1-4), offered a sacrifice of bread and wine. His offering prefigured the offering made by Jesus, our high priest and king (Hebrews 7:26; 9:11; 10:12). The remembrance of the manna in the wilderness recalled to the people of Israel that they live - not by earthly bread alone - but by the bread of the Word of God (Deuteronomy 8:3).
Jesus made himself a perfect offering and sacrifice to God on our behalf. At the last supper when Jesus blessed the cup of wine, he gave it to his disciples saying, "Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28). Jesus was pointing to the sacrifice he was about to make on the cross, when he would shed his blood for us - thus pouring himself out and giving himself to us - as an atoning sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the world. His death on the cross fulfilled the sacrifice of the paschal (passover) lamb whose blood spared the Israelites from death in Egypt.
Paul the Apostle tells us that "Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed" (1 Corinthians 5:7). Paul echoes the words of John the Baptist who called Jesus the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). Jesus made himself an offering and sacrifice, a gift that was truly pleasing to the Father. He offered himself without blemish to God" (Hebrews 9:14) and "gave himself as a sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2).
In so doing, he gave us his body and blood as the spiritual food to sustain us up to the end. The Lord Jesus sustains us with the life-giving bread of heaven. Jesus chose the time of the Jewish Feast of Passover to fulfill what he had announced at Capernaum - giving his disciples his body and his blood as the true bread of heaven. Jesus' passing over to his Father by his death and resurrection - the new passover - is anticipated in the Last Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist or Lord's Supper, which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the church in the glory of God's kingdom. When the Lord Jesus commands his disciples to eat his flesh and drink his blood, he invites us to take his life into the very center of our being. That life which he offers is the very life of God himself.
Let us reflect today on the reality of the bread that Jesus gives, which is he himself. Everyday in mass, he makes himself present in the species of bread and wine, so that us who partake of him should have eternal life and be able to be raised up by him on the last day. Do you always hunger for this bread of life? We pray that our love for Eucharist should increase everyday that passes and may we get nourished and withdraw life and communion as we partake in the bread of life.
Let us Pray
Lord Jesus, you nourish and sustain us with your very own presence and life-giving word. You are the bread of life - the heavenly food that sustains us now and that produces everlasting life within us. May I always hunger for you and be satisfied in you alone. Amen
Be blessed
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