Gospel: John 6:51-58
Jesus said to the crowds: “I am the living bread that came down from
heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will
give is my flesh for the life of the world.” The Jews quarreled among
themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to
them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and
drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and
drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my
flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and
drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me
and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will
have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike
your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live
forever.
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Reflection:
The story is told
about a non-practicing catholic whose house was located across the church.
Every morning his wife would wake him up to accompany her to go to church to
attend Holy Mass but he would always refuse. For so many months it was always
like that every early morning. Out of curiosity he decided to go with his wife
just to see what was going on during Holy Mass.
Upon going inside
the church the Holy Mass had just started and to his amazement he saw angels
all over the altar especially near the tabernacle. During consecration instead
of the Holy Host, he saw real flesh being raised up by the priest for the
faithful to adore. Thereafter the man became a faithful believer and
a regular presence in the daily celebration of Holy Mass.
When Jesus
said: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my
flesh for the life of the world.”(John 6:51) The Jews did not believe
Him. In fact they said, “How can this
man give us His flesh to eat?” (John 6:52) Indeed, how come that the Sacred
Host that we receive during Holy Communion becomes the body of Jesus? It takes
deep faith to believe the real presence of Jesus’ body and blood during Holy
Communion. Obviously, the Jews who were complaining about this brave
declaration of Jesus did not have faith.
How about us? Do we
believe in this Bread of Life discourse of Jesus? Do we believe that it is
Jesus’ Body, Blood and Divinity that we are going to partake during Holy
Communion? After receiving Jesus do we still kneel and deeply communicate with
Him? Or we just kneel because that’s the gesture that we have to do and we do it
just for the sake of doing it?
Many are always
going to Holy Mass every Sunday or even almost everyday but not everyone goes
through the process of conversion. For the simple truth that we don’t allow
ourselves to be converted by the Body and Blood of Jesus.
We persist to
dominate Jesus since we refuse His call to walk away from our sinfulness. We
continue to increase and Jesus continue to decrease because we persist to do
things our way and not let Jesus show us the way.
Do you believe in
this Bread of Life Discourse of Jesus? Do you believe the pronouncement of
Jesus that you will live forever when you always partake of His Body
during Holy Communion?
There can be miracle
in your life when you begin to believe! – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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