Sunday 22-06-14 Bread
of life (Jn 6:51-58)
Dear
brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, today as we celebrate in a special manner
the feast of Jesus’ precious body and blood, we begin to catch a glimpse of the
power of Jesus' words that those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide
in me and I in them (v.56). Eat – Drink – Abide. The image of the
banquet remains, throughout the whole Bible, as the central image of life and
communion." 'Man is what he eats,' the German philosopher Feuerbach
wrote. Jesus' words to the gathered crowd caused a debate among the Jews
who heard them. "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
Not only does Jesus offer his flesh and blood for the life of the world, there
is no life apart from eating the flesh and blood of the Son of Man. That means
these words had to do with, on the one hand, taking the whole of Jesus’ life
and ministry into one's being - an intimate union with Jesus Christ and on the other hand, referring to the unity/koinonia
among the believers. Intimate union with Christ - unity among brethren.
Here
John is revealing the inner meaning of what Matthew, Mark and Luke will portray
in the outward act of eating bread and drinking wine in the transformation of
the Passover meal into an eating and drinking, "in remembrance of
me." What is the memorial that he has left for us? It is none
other than service and love. “If I, your Lord and teacher, have washed
you feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet”(13:14), “you love one
another as I have loved you”(15:12). That is why the judgment becomes unique,
“truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are
members of my family, you did it to me,”(Mt 25:40). That is why St.John omits
the narration of the institution of the Eucharist at the last supper and brings
Jesus’ washing of disciple’s feet. Again seeing the disunity among the
Corinthians St.Paul scolds them, “when you come together, it is not really to
eat the Lord’s Supper.”
Therefore,
I want to make clear that communion with Christ is a lifestyle and the
celebration of the Eucharist, however, does not create intimacy with the Lord
-- it is a reflection of it. It should be an expression of our love and
communion. True enough, we think of communion with Christ as the sacrament
of Holy Communion -- an act we participate in when we are gathered together in the
church for corporate/common worship. Our Eucharist is more than a mere
remembrance of what once was; it is the bread of life itself, the cup of
salvation. The very physical and tangible presence of the crucified and risen
Christ incorporated into our very being! Therefore, communion with Christ means
a restoration of the intimacy with God that brings fulfillment and
satisfaction. There is no life sustaining nourishment for the spirit to be
had apart from the Lord. "I am the living bread that came down
from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever..."
We
are in communion with Christ in the whole of our lives. While we were
studying in our minor seminary, Fr.Rector used to remind us, “Holy mass is
not part of the day but heart of the day.” In other words, Life in
communion with Christ is not confined to a few moments in public worship of
Eucharist, but is a morning 'till evening, every waking moment feeding on the
One who gives us his very self to feed upon. Communion with Christ has always
been a mark of the follower of Christ. We would make significant gains in
our life of "followership" -- or "discipleship," if
we would focus on the Eucharist as the deepest expression of our communion with
Christ and not simply a "going to" or "taking of"
that begins and ends in the sanctuary. Let us not forget, to feed on
Christ all the days of my life is to be in communion with Christ.
In communion with Christ
also means to follow the Jesus-way. St.John in his first letter says, “whoever
says, ‘I abide in him’, ought to walk just as he walked”(1:6). It means to accept
the call to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of the Kingdom. It means to live
the Kingdom way/message before the Kingdom is realized in its full.
Finally, then, it is clear
that Jesus, when asking the crowd to “eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink
his blood” is also alluding to the new community meal that he will give
at the last supper, which is itself an eternal reference to his death on the
cross. Whatever else Christianity is then, it must be seen as a meal, a
fellowship meal at a table spread before his new flesh and blood community,
comprised as it is of both Jew and Gentile, and spread out before them by the
LORD himself. St. Paul says, ”as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the lord’s death until he comes”(1cor 11:26). Again, “for all who
eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against
themselves”( 1 cor 11:29).
At this holy Eucharist,
then, this table of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the heavenly banquet he himself
instituted and prepared, Jesus invites us to partake of this new life, offered
through his death and his resurrection. At his table we are in communion with
the Son, finding the promise of life, renewal, peace, and the reality of
community and of true humanness. And, at his table we find the promise of the
reality of the present and future Kingdom. In other words, what we dream for
the world in our heart of hearts -- peace, hope, a common humanness -- was
actually accomplished when the Son died on the cross. And this is what is offered
in the Eucharistic meal -- the shared memorial and the shared community life
of the Son.
I conclude with this short
homily with St.Paul “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord,
continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established
in faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (col 2:6).To
live in Christ is to love. Let us
remember, “no one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s
friends”(Jn 15:13).
I will follow you wherever you go. My God, what a strong decision! Eighth and ninth chapters of Mathew are full of miracle narratives. We should remember it is in the midst of these narratives we find this challenging verse. How beautiful and useful it is to follow a miracle performer! It reminds me right now my childhood days as an altar boy. Whenever a new priest comes to our parish I was very eager to take him for a visit to different families. They were also very happy that I was regular and punctual. Since I knew almost all the families of my area it was very helpful for them too. When review myself today I find that it was not truly the expression of my interest in family visits or make fathers familiar to these families rather it benefited me a lot;especially I could share the coffee time with them. Yes, father I will follow you wherever you go. Back to the scene, Jesus answers the man,"Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lie down and rest." Lord, Jesus Christ I am very happy that I am with you today as a priest not for the coffee time, but to be simply with you and to be sent out wherever you like. Amen. Have a nice day. 
