Thursday of the
Third Week of Easter
(Acts 8:26-40; John 6:44-51)
At a meeting a priest once shocked his colleagues by
declaring that he had murdered a fellow priest.
Of course, his words were given immediate attention. He said that he had repeatedly covered for
the dead priest when he was drinking all night so that he could not say morning
mass. When the priest died of alcoholic-related
complications, the enabler-priest felt responsible. In today’s gospel Jesus shocks the Jews with similarly
descriptive language.
Jesus has already said that he is the bread of life. He meant that the teaching he received from
the Father and passes on to the people must be believed if they are to have the
fullness of life. Now he takes the
analogy a step farther. He says that the
bread which he gives is his “Flesh.” He uses
such strong language because his message departs from the world’s in dramatic
ways. Where the world exhorts people to
maximize pleasure, Jesus teaches self-sacrifice as the way to eternal
life. He will indicate that his Flesh is
incorporated in the Eucharistic bread which is to be actually eaten. But he does not mean that one can profit from
tasting it without believing in him.
We too should be shocked out of complacency with Jesus’
words. We have been accustomed to think
of success as becoming rich and to envy those who attract attention by their
beauty. Taking to heart Jesus’ words, we
will reconsider these values. We will
come to emulate the humble who care for others while praising God.
