Communion, also called Eucharist, is a deeply meaningful experience for disciples. It is an experience of the Real Presence of Christ. The belief can be received by others as at least peculiar if not shocking. This Sunday’s Gospel according to John shows an early example of the shock when Jesus says to listeners, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.” …(they) quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Usually the shock, as put forth by nonbelievers, is because they see people consuming bread and wine who believe it to be someone else’s body and blood. It’s a visceral reaction based on the mistaken notion that someone is dead, Jesus, and followers are now feasting on his corpse. That mistake is not really the fault of nonbelievers. Some early theologians commenting on Jesus spread that belief. The early theologians were believers in the Old Testament and its blood sacrifice rituals. They mistakenly believed Jesus’ death was another one. But Jesus never links his body and blood to his death. He always links it to his life. This Sunday’s Gospel shows that Jesus is decidedly alive when he speaks of his body and blood, He specifically says, “I am the living bread.” More importantly, at Jesus’ last meal, he is also alive when he links the bread and wine with his body and blood. It is not death nor any offerings or sacrifices attached to death that is the shocking nature of Eucharist. The shocking nature of Eucharist is that it is all about life; living bread, living wine, and living people – who will not be consumed by death. Eucharist shocks us into being nourished; by the earth and by a life lived in Communion. We are shocked into being alive with all its meaningfulness. To be shocked means to be thrown into confusion. If we are trained to believe in the separateness of ourselves to divinity and of ourselves to one another, we experience in Eucharist a shockingly deep and intimate Living Oneness. The experience fills us bodily and transforms us spiritually. We are drawn inward and are propelled outward. All humanity, all life is gathered together in one shared Living Presence.
‘My prayer for you is that you may grow in the likeness of Christ, being real carriers of love and that you really bring Christ’s presence, into your own family, to the next door neighbor, the street you we live in, the town we live in, the country we live, in the whole world.’ (Mother Teresa)
Prayer: Spirit of Presence, compel us toward deeper communion in the flesh and blood of our world.
Question: Am I willing to risk looking like a fool for love?
June 18, 2017 Gospel John 6:51-58 Corpus Christi