Sunday, August 11, 2024

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

(1 Kings 19:4-8, Ephesians 4:30-5:2; John 6:41-51)

Dear sisters and brothers, today we continue reading from the "Discourse on the Bread of Life" from the Gospel according to St. John. Last Sunday we heard that the people resisted believing in Jesus. Now we read that they are murmuring against him. They have moved from unbelief to rejection. For this reason, the evangelist describes them not as "the people" or "the crowd" but as "the Jews." The Jews will expel Christians from their synagogues fifty years in the future when the evangelist was writing.

From the beginning of the reading, the Jews show a misunderstanding of Jesus. In today's gospel, they say they know his family. That is, they know Mary, Joseph, and Jesus’ other relatives who live in Nazareth. This claim is also incorrect. In the four gospels, it is not the blood family that matters to Jesus but his spiritual family.  His disciples who believe in Him constitute His true family.

But it is difficult to maintain faith in Jesus. In today's reading, the people have to overcome their doubts about his family and his declaration that he has come down from heaven. Nowadays, many do not believe in Jesus because his moral teachings seem extreme. They say, "How dare he say that sex outside of marriage is always wrong?" or "How can he expect us to forgive those who have insulted us in public?" Others do not believe in Jesus because of the claims the Church makes about him: that he rose from the dead and that he is the Lord God.

To nourish the faith of believers, Jesus gives them spiritual food. The last time he will share a meal with his disciples, Jesus breaks bread and gives it to them, saying, "This is my body." It is divine bread that makes his disciples divine men and women like Jesus. They can now trust in his words despite what unbelievers say. They can now explain how his resurrection is a transhistorical event that will not be replicated until the end of time. Then the bodies of all believers will pass from death to eternal life.

Of course, unbelievers will object to the assertion that the bread on the altar is the body of Christ. Unfortunately, even many Catholics think it is only a symbol that reminds us of Jesus. However, in this Gospel according to St. John, Jesus emphasizes that He is truly present in the Eucharist: body, blood, soul, and divinity. He does not say that He gives His "body" but His "flesh." Just as a lion devours the flesh of its prey, Christians devour the flesh of Jesus. This food gives us the strength to advance on the long journey to eternal life. For this reason, we have the story of Elijah as today’s first reading. Just as Elijah had the strength to complete the long journey after eating the baked bread and drinking the jar of water, we can overcome sin by partaking of the body and blood of Christ.

Two more thoughts. First, although the "Jews" appear as enemies of Jesus in the Gospel of John, several in reality became the first Christians. They should in no way be considered enemies of Christians today. Second and more importantly, it is not our faith that makes the bread and wine the Body and Blood of Christ. Rather, our faith permits the Body and Blood of Christ to be efficacious in giving us eternal life. By believing in him and being nourished by his body and blood, we can fulfill his teachings and partake in his life.

Sunday, August 4, 2024

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Exodus 16:2-4,12-15; Ephesians 4:17,20-24; John 6:24-35)

Bishops are concerned that most Catholics do not believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. This is a grave and real matter. But an even more important question is, who is Jesus? Many, both Christians and non-Christians, think of him as a sage like Sophocles or a prudent leader like Lincoln. Last week we saw Jesus giving signs that he is God. Just as God gave the Israelites manna to feed them physically, Jesus gave those who sought him bread that nourished them both physically and spiritually.

In today's gospel, Jesus reveals that he is the Bread of Eternal Life, but first, he discusses with the Jews their values. He accuses them of seeking him not for the spiritual bread he imparts but for the bread that satisfied them without having to work for it. He says this pursuit is futile because physical bread will eventually run out. Sooner or later, this bread will sour like the manna left on the desert floor. Instead, Jesus offers himself, "the Bread of Life," that lasts forever. He says that if they accept him as the Son of God with faith, he will continue to satisfy them endlessly.

Many in the world today, like these Jews, strive to satisfy themselves with things that eventually lose their value. They think these things will bring them happiness. There are many substitutes for true happiness, but they can be summarized in four words starting with the letter "p": power, property, prestige, and pleasure. These attract many but are ultimately like bread that perishes. Olympic athletes who strive to be the fastest runner or the strongest boxer will soon see another athlete who runs faster or punches harder. The rich will see their millions dissipate when they realize they cannot buy health or love. The famous today do not have to wait many tomorrows to see others receive more attention than them. And pleasure often proves to be a curse due to its harmful effects, as has happened with many smokers.

But the Jews resist Jesus' offer. They ask for proof of his relationship with God. Evidently, they have forgotten the multiplication of loaves. Anyway, they want another sign before they believe in him. They suggest it be something like the manna their ancestors ate in the desert. Jesus responds that this "bread from heaven" was a gift from God, his Father, and now he gives them the true bread from heaven, which is himself. He adds that accepting him as the Son sent by God is equivalent to doing God's work or, better, fulfilling his will.

So far, we have not had to consider the Blessed Sacrament to explain how he is the Bread of Life. His words and actions can be considered spiritual nourishment to be consumed. However, it is necessary to keep a proper sense of Jesus for him to be the substance that satisfies the world’s hunger. It is not simply that he has the most recognized name in history. Rather, he can satisfy the world because he is God. That is, Jesus is the spiritual creator that allows the existence of all being by participation in Him. We can compare him to the sun. Just as the sun's rays create life on earth, the metaphysical action of God gives existence to the physical universe. Jesus Christ has come to reveal God's will through his words and even more through his sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. Him we trust and follow.

 

Sunday, August 4, 2024

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Exodus 16:2-4,12-15; Ephesians 4:17,20-24; John 6:24-35)

Bishops are concerned that most Catholics do not believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. This is a grave and real matter. But an even more important question is, who is Jesus? Many, both Christians and non-Christians, think of him as a sage like Sophocles or a prudent leader like Lincoln. Last week we saw Jesus giving signs that he is God. Just as God gave the Israelites manna to feed them physically, Jesus gave those who sought him bread that nourished them both physically and spiritually.

In today's gospel, Jesus reveals that he is the Bread of Eternal Life, but first, he discusses with the Jews their values. He accuses them of seeking him not for the spiritual bread he imparts but for the bread that satisfied them without having to work for it. He says this pursuit is futile because physical bread will eventually run out. Sooner or later, this bread will sour like the manna left on the desert floor. Instead, Jesus offers himself, "the Bread of Life," that lasts forever. He says that if they accept him as the Son of God with faith, he will continue to satisfy them endlessly.

Many in the world today, like these Jews, strive to satisfy themselves with things that eventually lose their value. They think these things will bring them happiness. There are many substitutes for true happiness, but they can be summarized in four words starting with the letter "p": power, property, prestige, and pleasure. These attract many but are ultimately like bread that perishes. Olympic athletes who strive to be the fastest runner or the strongest boxer will soon see another athlete who runs faster or punches harder. The rich will see their millions dissipate when they realize they cannot buy health or love. The famous today do not have to wait many tomorrows to see others receive more attention than them. And pleasure often proves to be a curse due to its harmful effects, as has happened with many smokers.

But the Jews resist Jesus' offer. They ask for proof of his relationship with God. Evidently, they have forgotten the multiplication of loaves. Anyway, they want another sign before they believe in him. They suggest it be something like the manna their ancestors ate in the desert. Jesus responds that this "bread from heaven" was a gift from God, his Father, and now he gives them the true bread from heaven, which is himself. He adds that accepting him as the Son sent by God is equivalent to doing God's work or, better, fulfilling his will.

So far, we have not had to consider the Blessed Sacrament to explain how he is the Bread of Life. His words and actions can be considered spiritual nourishment to be consumed. However, it is necessary to keep a proper sense of Jesus for him to be the substance that satisfies the world’s hunger. It is not simply that he has the most recognized name in history. Rather, he can satisfy the world because he is God. That is, Jesus is the spiritual creator that allows the existence of all being by participation in Him. We can compare him to the sun. Just as the sun's rays create life on earth, the metaphysical action of God gives existence to the physical universe. Jesus Christ has come to reveal God's will through his words and even more through his sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. Him we trust and follow.

 

Sunday, August 1, 2021

 Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Exodus 16:2-4.12-15; Ephesians 4: 7.20-24; John 6:24-35)

People always seek happiness. Many think that money will bring it to them. So they buy lottery tickets. However, according to the researchers, those who win the lottery do not stay happy for long.  Sure, they feel excited for a while, but before long their temperaments change. First, the average person who wins the lottery goes broke within a few years. Another thing is that the lucky winner soon discovers that money cannot satisfy the heart’s deepest desires. They are like the Jews in the gospel today thinking that receiving free bread will make them happy.

Jesus rebukes the people for having sought him out to get more food. It is not that he wants to deny them the necessities of life. Rather, he wants to instruct them that the fulfillment of life's purpose lies not in satisfying the appetites but in believing in him. For this reason, he proclaims at the end of the passage: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never hunger ... "

By giving us himself as food, Jesus shows us the need to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others. God, our Father in heaven, gives us life as a gift. To thank him for this great benefit we have to give ourselves to others in genuine love. As soon as we realize this truth, we draw closer to the Father and we feel His great care for us. We have the examples of the saints to help us in this endeavor. Father Gratian Murray was a brother of La Salle who worked for many years in the Philippines. He there he founded an orphanage. When the bishop asked Brother Gratian to receive ordination for lack of priests in his diocese, he could not refuse. Then, Father Gratian became ill with cancer. Medicines came from the United States to cure it. However, Father Gratian refused to take them because they required him not to drink any alcohol for thirty days. He said it was more important for his boys to receive Holy Communion than for him to be cured.

In the first reading the Israelites ask of the soft powder: "'What is this?'" Moses replies, "'This is the bread that the Lord gives you for food.'" Scientists today try to explain the phenomenon of bread. They say that the desert bread is like the resin of the tamarisk tree that has the texture of wax and melts to the ground with the sun. It may be, but we Catholics explain it differently. The bread of the desert is a prototype of the bread that Jesus offered at the Last Supper with his disciples and that is offered to us in every mass. It is his flesh that, like the bread of the desert, gives life, not so much physical life but eternal life.

A few years ago, a book entitled White Bread was released. The author wrote that many scoff at white bread today as non-nutritious, but they are wrong. He added that white bread is fortified with vitamins and has no impurities. It is something like that with the Eucharistic bread. Some non-Catholics think it is of little value. However, we know that its value is infinite. It nourishes us not so much with physical life but with eternal life.

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Thursday of the Third Week of Easter

(Acts 8:26-40; John 6:44-51)

It is said that bread is the staff of life.  Supplying most of the calories in a western person’s diet, bread was once the staple of half the world.  Today a range of foods provides the calories for subsistence.  More peculiar is the fact that many people have recently been diagnosed with an intolerance of gluten, a composite of wheat proteins.  They cannot digest most bread well and should not eat any product containing more than a trace of gluten.  How does this development affect today’s gospel claim that Jesus is “the bread of life”?

Just as the life that Jesus offers is greater than physical life, the bread he gives is more than regular bread.  It is his “Eucharistic” bread which provides the superior life.  Eucharistic bread enables a life of gratitude.  It recognizes God as its source, its sustenance, and its end.  Assured of such a benefactor, the person who consumes Eucharistic bread should give thanks always.

We have daily access to Eucharistic bread at mass.  It transforms us inwardly to become more grateful for everything.  Consuming Eucharistic bread, we lovingly recognize those who help us.  We can even accept the difficulties that burden our lives with a sense of appreciation.  Shouldered without rancor, they make us stronger and wiser.  Becoming more Eucharistic, which means becoming more like Jesus himself, should bring us to mass more often.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter

(Acts 8:1b-8; John 6:35-40)

Jesus calls himself “the bread of life.”  He means that just as the body digests bread in order to live so must one come to Jesus if she is to have the fullness of life.  Later on in the “Bread of Life Discourse,” Jesus will equate coming to him with participating in the Eucharist.  In this passage he intends that the person believe what he teaches.  After all, Jesus is not teaching his own ideas but what he has learned from God, the Father.

Jesus lives among the Jews, but his message is intended for the whole world.  He declares that he will reject no one.  He is saying that no longer are the Jews the exclusive people of God.  Rather pagans and Africans and homosexuals and others that some people cannot tolerate who come to him will be accepted into God’s people.

We sometimes think of ourselves as God’s people because we partake of Jesus in the Eucharist.  We are right in considering eating Jesus’ body and drinking his blood as a distinct privilege.  But we are mistaken if we discount people from God’s chosen family because they do not join us in the Communion line.  It is wiser to judge ourselves as well as others on the basis of love for Africans, homosexuals and others whom many people tend to reject.

Homilette for Thursday, April 30, 2009

Thursday of the Third Week of Easter

(Acts 8:26-40; John 6:44-51)

In The Omnivore’s Dilemma food activist Michael Pollan criticizes the American industrial-agricultural system. He says that it has caused corn to far outdistance wheat as the American dietary mainstay. He cites statistics and personal experience to show how farmers are encouraged to grow ever increasing amounts of corn to be fed to livestock and to be processed into human food. Pollan’s analysis raises the question whether Jesus, if he were to preach today, would say, “I am the bread of life.”

Probably he would! Whatever the popularity of corn, well-made bread is both nutritious and delectable. Jesus also challenges assumptions like “the more, the better” and “what is convenient is also preferable.” He makes himself bread to be eaten at the Eucharist, but this bread is something different from the bread we consume at table. As the gospel says, we do not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Jesus comes from God as the source of eternal life that brings back to Him.

Because they are turned into the body and blood of Christ, churches should choose quality bread and wine for the Eucharist. For a while many parishes made their own bread for the altar table. That practice often has proven impractical, but still parishes can purchase hosts which have the appearance and texture of well-made bread. Likewise, they should avoid cheap wine for consecration. Pricey wines are unnecessary, but good wine made available in sufficient quantities for all who care to drink of the precious blood is imminently called for.