This past Sunday we read from the book of Dueteronomy the promise made by God to the Israelites: not by bread alone shall you eat… Not even the manna given them in the desert as a result of their lack of trust was God going to bring Israel to salvation. It was through the Bread of Life, Jesus Son of God, who is the bread come down from heaven for which we will all be saved.
In St. John’s gospel we read precisely what the manna of the desert is NOT: Jesus Christ! Scandalous was the response by most of those who heard this declaration in Chapter 6 right after two other miracles to announce to the people who Jesus really is. And so troubling was this announcement to those who heard it that many returned to their former life and STOPPED following Jesus because of it.
Interestingly enough Jesus never states that he meant this teaching metaphorically or symbolically, or even spiritually. He meant it literally and they could not believe: “this is a hard saying, who can listen to it?”
Today many Christians tell Catholics, Orthodox Christians (I mention the two oldest Christian religions because it is only the “man-made” denominations that seem to struggle with this teaching. One must wonder why?) and the like that we worship wafers, cookies, lifeless bread. Many Christians believe Jesus meant this only symbolically. So when they witness such things they too ask, “What is it? (Hebrew for manna).
May Catholic’s never cease to proclaim Jesus as the bread come down form heaven. It is the Bread of Life who will sustain our spiritual lives. As a matter of fact, it is because of the Bread of Life that we live life in the Spirit for it is he who is Spirit and Life. What greater God than to have a God who wants to be completely consumed by us so that we may become what we eat!
Amen, the Body of Christ, Amen, the Blood of the Lord, eating your body, drinking your blood, we become what we recieve, Amen! Amen! (excerp from a song tiltled “AMEN, EL Cuerpo De Cristo”, copyright 1996 By John Schiavone. Sacred. Octavo. Published by OCP)
All the good in me is due to Holy Communion. ~Saint Faustina Kowalska