+ This is the last in our series of five homilies about Jesus as "Bread of Life." Last week Jesus said: I am the bread of life, and unless you eat this bread which is my flesh, and drink the cup of wine which is my blood you will not have eternal life. Today is the big fallout: the Jews quarreled among themselves and said: this kind of talk is very difficult to endure; and a great many of them left Jesus at that point and most likely never returned. Jesus looked at the Apostles and said: do you want to go too? But Peter said: Lord, to whom shall we go – you have the words of eternal life – we have come to believe and are convinced you are the Holy One of God! [Peter was graced by the Holy Spirit and blessed in order to make this statement of truth.] To put it another way Peter no doubt would also say: "you who speak, and can only speak, words of eternal life, you say that bread can become your flesh, and wine your blood – WE BELIEVE IT! WE, YOUR BEST FRIENDS, BELIEVE YOU ARE WHO AND WHAT YOU SAY YOU ARE: BREAD OF LIFE – AND THAT WE CAN SPIRITUALLY EAT YOUR FLESH AND DRINK YOUR BLOOD in a way that you will give us when the time is right! WE CANNOT POSSIBLY GO ANYWHERE ELSE for this truth and this life! And Jesus is relieved: someone "gets it!" Jesus is very happy!
As for us, here, today, many of us "got it" at one time or another (at least hopefully we "got it"). I pray that our faith and belief was very strong in Jesus; and all that he had to say of himself; including about being really and truly present: body, blood, soul and divinity spiritually in the Eucharistic bread and wine. But what is our "got it" quotient today – right now? Do we "get it" now as fully as ever? If so, great! If not, may I suggest this: close your eyes, and open the eyes and ears of your heart, and listen and believe Jesus when he says these words: I am the Bread of Life! I am the Eucharistic Bread you eat and the Eucharist cup you drink. I am the Bread of God's Friendship Restored. When you eat this bread and drink this cup you become more deeply and really a part of my living Body (which is the Church on earth), than you can possibly imagine; you become not only my Divine Friend, but also my Divine Friendship now available for others who are in need of comfort and compassion and care; you become my eyes and ears and hands and feet to bring light and love and peace to the whole world.
This is what Eucharist is all about! This is what "Bread of Life" is all about! This is why we take five weeks each summer to talk about it! It is meant to be the Object of our Focus all the days of our lives. We are to look at the Host (and remember what it looks like always); we are to say "Amen" "I believe it is you, Jesus," and then we are to be the Love and the Friendship that we eat and drink – so that not only we ourselves will have food for the journey of life, but we can help out a great many others along the way sharing the love and the friendship of God.
As Joshua addressed the people and said: We will serve the Lord, for he is our God! So, we say the same thing this day: fed by him and strengthened by him, we will serve him in love, for he is our awesome God!
No comments:
Post a Comment