If you have been paying attention to the Sunday Gospels over the past two weeks, you might have noticed that they were taken from the Gospel of John. If you noticed that, you might have thought it odd since this year, when we are in Year B of the three year Liturgical cycle, the Sunday Gospel is ordinarily taken from the Gospel of Mark. Since Mark’s Gospel is rather short, however, we have more Sundays than we have Marcan pericopes so periodically throughout the year, readings are taken from other Gospels, and especially from John’s Gospel. In fact, the next several Sundays – interrupted next week due to the celebration of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – will also feature Gospel passages from John – all of them are from the sixth chapter which is an important chapter in John’s Gospel since it contains the powerful Bread of Life discourses. As even more of you are returning to celebrating the Eucharist in person, this is a good opportunity to pay special attention to these Gospel passages.
You will recall that the Gospel passage two weeks ago presented Jesus feeding the multitude who had followed him across the Sea of Galilee to the shore of Tiberias because he had cured so many in their midst. All of the Gospels present miraculous feeding accounts – in fact, Matthew and Mark each have two accounts, with interesting similarities and differences that have given Scripture scholars much to think about and discuss over the centuries. But, John’s Gospel lingers over this event, giving us time to go deeper into its meaning. As we spend these weeks doing just that, allow me to offer some theological and ecclesiological reflections.
The three synoptic Gospels (Matthew 14:14-21; 15:32-37, Mark 6:32-44; 8:1-9, and Luke 9:10-17) present the feeding of the multitude as miracle stories, demonstrating our Lord’s concern for the people who followed him because of his teachings and miraculous cures. Although they certainly have Eucharistic overtones, none of the synoptic Gospels offer theological reflections after these miraculous feeding pericopes.
On the other hand, after John’s Gospel presents the feeding of the multitude (which we heard two Sundays ago), it launches into an extensive reflection on the significance of this event. We heard the first reflection last week and do well to meditate on it since it establishes the importance of believing in our Lord who is “the bread of life.” Jesus makes it clear that “whoever comes to me will never hunger and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” Jesus chastises the people because they “ate the loaves and were satisfied.” He admonishes them to “not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life.” Although we have to work for our everyday livelihoods, Jesus calls us to focus on that more important work that permits us to share in the Eucharistic meal. We should spend time daily to build our relationship with God our heavenly Father who offers us his Son, the Bread of Life.
This week, we hear Jesus drive home to the Jewish people of his day both the reality that he is “the bread that came down from heaven” and that the bread that he has to offer is different from the bread that their ancestors ate in the desert. For the Jew, “bread from heaven” refers to the manna that fell from the heavens to nourish their forefathers during the time of their exodus from Egypt back to the Promised Land, that is, the land of Canaan. Although this bread nourished them during their journey, they all died. But Jesus is “the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.” In making this bold proclamation, Jesus is declaring that he is divine and that he can offer something greater than what God gave the Jewish people through Moses, whom the people considered the greatest of all prophets. Jesus then makes an even bolder proclamation: “the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” This declaration is so difficult to accept that, in two weeks, we will hear the “Jews quarrel among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’” and concluding, “this saying is hard; who can accept it?” In fact, “many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.” Jesus then turns to the Twelve and asks them, “Do you also want to leave?” Speaking for all twelve, Peter responds, “Master, you have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
Our Lord’s declaration that he offers us his flesh to eat for eternal life remains the cornerstone of our faith. And yet, it is a very challenging truth to believe – so difficult, in fact, that most other Christian communities have rejected it. Instead, they consider their communion services to be mere remembrances of our Lord’s Last Supper. When we gather around our Lord’s Table, however, we participate in our Lord’s once-and-for-all sacrifice on the cross. And, like the Twelve, we profess our belief in Jesus as the Holy One of God and in the truth of his teachings as we follow his command to “take and eat of it for this is my body; take and drink for this is my blood.” These are, as Peter said so well, “the words of eternal life”! As we listen to these readings over these few Sundays, let us meditate on the powerful truths they teach us once again and reaffirm our faith in the real presence of God in the Eucharist and thank God for the gift that nourishes us to eternal life! That’s one of the most important reasons we come to celebrate the Eucharist in person. Just as we can’t enjoy a good steak virtually, we can’t receive our Lord virtually; we can only receive him in person. How blessed we are to be invited around the Table of our Lord!