THE EUCHARIST IS LIFE IN CHRIST
Christ is the Eucharist body, blood, soul and divinity is our life on earth. With Him, life is nothing and means nothing. If we eat his body and drink his blood then we will have life in us, an abundant life and life eternal. Our eating Christ’s flesh and drinking his body is not symbolic and figurative. It is the Real Presence of his Body and Blood to us.
WE ARE CANNIBALS
Last week, I got this reaction on my homily which I published on the social network: LinkedIn from one Mr Mike Thornton wrote: a religion based on cannibalism. Therefore, the question is: are we cannibals or a religion of cannibalism when partaking in or celebrating the Eucharist? The answer is no, we are not cannibals or a religion of cannibalism.
Sacrifice is as old as man on earth. The concept of sacrifice implies, the shedding of blood to bring about peace, reconciliation and healing. In ancient religions, the bloodshed in sacrifice is of animals. However, in the order of existence, human beings are more potent than the blood of animals. Why? This is because, in the order of reality and existence man is on a higher spectrum than animals.
SACRIFICE IN ANCIENT RELIGION
These ideas would be quite normal to anyone brought up in ancient sacrifice. The animal was very seldom burned entirely.
Usually, only a token part was burned on the altar, although the whole animal was offered to the god. Part of the flesh was given to the priests as their perquisite; and part to the worshipper to make a feast for himself and his friends within the temple precincts. At that feast, the god himself was held to be a guest.
WHAT EATING THE MEAT OF SACRIFICE MEANS
More, once the flesh had been offered to the god. It was held that he had entered into it. Therefore when the worshipper ate it he was literally eating the god. When people rose from such a feast they went out, as they believed, literally god-filled.
We may think of it as idolatrous worship, we may think of it as a vast delusion, yet the fact remains these people went out quite certain that in them there was now the dynamic vitality of their god
AFRICAN HIERARCHICAL ORDER OF EXISTENTIAL REALITY
The order of reality according to Abanuka are: the Supreme Being (God), deities, spirit (good and bad), human beings, animals, plants and inanimate things like rocks, stones, etc. Hence, man’s blood is more efficacious or potent than animals.
Some cultures understand this when human sacrifices are made to free or save their tribes. Hence, human sacrifice is more efficacious than animal sacrifice.
HEBREWS 10:1-18
The Book of Hebrews understands and affirms this: “The old plan was only a hint of the good things in the new plan. Since that old “law plan” wasn’t complete in itself, it couldn’t complete those who followed it. No matter how many sacrifices were offered year after year, they never added up to a complete solution. If they had, the worshipers would have gone blissfully on their way, no longer dragged down by their sins. But instead of removing awareness of sin, when those animal sacrifices were repeated over and over they actually heightened awareness and guilt.
The plain fact is that bull and goat blood can’t get rid of sin. That is what is meant by this prophecy, put in the mouth of Christ: You don’t want sacrifices and offerings year after year; you’ve prepared a body for me for a sacrifice. It’s not fragrance and smoke from the altar that whet your appetite. So I said, “I’m here to do it your way, O God, the way it’s described in your Book.”
When he said, “You don’t want sacrifices and offerings,” he was referring to practices according to the old plan. When he added, “I’m here to do it your way,” he set aside the first in order to enact the new plan—God’s way—by which we are made fit for God by the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus. Every priest goes to work at the altar each day, offers the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never makes a dent in the sin problem.
As a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God and waited for his enemies to cave in. It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process. The Holy Spirit confirms this.”
In the Jewish religion before the time of Christ, animals were used for a peace or penitence offering to God. These are called scapegoats which, the whole community confesses their sins and is sent to the desert to die and sins of all taken with it.
Over sheer ignorance, men have done this for donkey of years. Until God in the Person of Christ shows us the true way of worship of God in truth and spirit.
CHRIST THE LAMB OF GOD
Christ, the Lamb of God, the human being who took upon himself the sins of the world by willingly offering himself to die in our place. To save us from sins, death, evil and the devil who causes sins in our lives. Christ’s sacrifice did not only replace that of animals but also any human sacrifice. He is the God-Man who came to take away our sins.
In all religions of the earth, Christianity is the only religion where his God died for his followers (men). Other religions demand the sacrifices of animals or humans to their gods. Christianity is the only religion where God in Christ Jesus became man, lived among and gave himself for us eternally.
This is the mystery of faith where Christ is the victim of sacrifice, the priest who offered the sacrifice and the altar on which the sacrifice is made. A man like Mike Thornton cannot understand this mystery of faith. It is only those with true faith in God and Christ who can understand and accept this mystery.
OUR THEMES
Today’s readings are all about feasting on life. The concept of the feast has many truthful and beautiful meanings. It brings people together. It brings about reconciliation, peace and joy among men and women. Feast is a sacramental sign. Hence, the biblical sense of feast prefers the kingdom of God.
Hence, readings stress the fact that the Holy Eucharist, the perfect fulfilment of the symbol of the manna of the Old Testament, is the Food that gives us life forever. In last Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus declared that the Bread he gives is his Flesh. This Sunday, Jesus asserts that to eat this Bread is to have eternal life.
It takes the Wisdom from above to distinguish spiritual values from worldly senses and know the difference between a Eucharistic meal and the quest for worldly substance.
FIRST READING: THE BOOK OF PROVERBS 9:1-6
From the Book of Proverbs 9:1-6, Wisdom prepares and invites all to taste its riches a fulfilling and lasting meal of eternity. Hence, the personified wisdom of God invites us all to the feasting table of the food that endures forever.
Therefore, in the Book of Proverbs, Lady Wisdom, representing God, offers wisdom and understanding, in the form of a rich banquet to all willing to heed her invitation. The early Christians often identified Jesus as the Wisdom of God. They regarded the Eucharist as Wisdom’s banquet, where they shared in the Divine Wisdom now Incarnate in Jesus.
This meal is the Eucharistic Christ personified in the Book of Proverbs, the knowledge and understanding of God for the right Christian that brings life to all living things.
SECOND READING: EPHESIANS.5:15-20
In the second reading, Paul advises the Gentile Christians to show their gratitude to God for calling them, along with the Jews, to Christianity, and for giving them a share in Christ’s life. They will be able to receive this life by avoiding their former foolish ways, like getting drunk on wine.
Instead, they are to be Spirit-filled with their talk edifying, always trying to discern and do the will of God. It is only through the Eucharistic meal of the body and blood of Christ. That we can abide in Him and Him in us. Hence, we become Christ-filled on earth.
Hence, St. Paul praises the Wisdom that takes advantage of the moment of grace to improve and transform life from earthly inclinations to spiritual enrichment. At the same time, St. Paul invites us to take advantage of God’s opportune moment to build up a spirit-filled and edifying Christian life de-attach of debauchery.
THE GOSPEL: JOHN. 6:51-58
Jesus in the 6th chapter of St. John’s gospel Jn. 6:51-58 on the Eucharistic-salvific meal insisted: – He is the living Bread that is the world’s life. This eternal or living Bread that sustains the world is Christ’s flesh and blood.
It is obvious that Jesus in the gospel also extends an invitation to all to partake of his real flesh and blood to have a welling grace of eternal life.
THE EUCHARISTIC DIMENSION
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus asserts that eating the Living Bread, himself, allows us to participate in his life and to grow here and now in our eternal life with God. Jesus emphasizes the eternal-life dimensions of eating His body and drinking His Blood.
That is, those who have faith in Jesus. And do so have already stepped into Heaven in this life, sharing in God’s own life and therefore in eternal life. Our participation in the Eucharist also concretizes and energizes our relationship with Christ and with one another.
When we share in the Body and Blood of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, Jesus himself comes to dwell within us. This communion with the Lord makes us one Body, brings us eternal life, and sends us forth to be Christ’s Body for the life of the world.
UNDISPUTABLE FACTS OF THE GOSPEL
- God in Christ Jesus is the One who sustained our earthly and spiritual through the Eucharistic body and bloody of his Son.
- Without us eating and drinking, the Eucharistic flesh and blood of Christ you will have no spiritual life.
- Without partaking in the body and blood of Christ, there is no hope of the resurrection or eternal life.
- Without partaking in the Eucharistic meal of the body and blood, you are in Christ and Him in you. We get life, strength and dynamic vitality that enrich our spiritual well-being.
- You cannot live for God doing his will if Christ’s life is not in you through partaking in his Body and Blood.
- The Eucharistic meal of the body and blood of Christ is the binding force of Christian unity, love and peace.
- It is also a real food that transforms, renews, builds up, and sustains the Christian spiritual life.
Christ our heavenly food can produce life, growth and great joy in us. The experience is to be savoured and enjoyed. The intimacy with this food can produce the same satisfied, warm glow that earthy food can yield.
THE SURPRISES OF GOD IN HUMAN HISTORY
Throughout history, God has spoken to his people in surprising ways. He spoke to Elijah through the gentle breeze, and he spoke to Moses in the burning bush. The natives of Bethlehem weren’t too excited that a new baby had been born and, later on, Herod would mock Jesus as a fool, and the soldiers would jeer him as a king.
After the resurrection, Mary Magdalene thought he was a gardener, Peter thought he was a ghost, and the disciples on the road to Emmaus thought he was a stranger passing through. That he should present himself in a simple form, such as food and drink, is what we might expect from “The God of Surprises.”
GOD’S SIMPLE WAY
In today’s Gospel, Jesus keeps it simple for us. In today’s Gospel, Jesus keeps it simple for us. As preachers, sometimes it is good to simply respect and embrace the mystery and profundity of it all and continue to keep it simple.
Here are the simple facts that Jesus communicates: Earthly bread sustains earthly life. It helps us grow. Heavenly bread sustains heavenly (eternal) life. It also helps us grow. Jesus is that heavenly bread. When we ingest it (Him), we enjoy a special intimacy with Jesus. He literally abides in us.
THE EUCHARIST GIFT OF GOD
The Eucharist – the Body and Blood of Christ – is God’s great gift of love to us. It is a sacrament of love. In it, we receive the very person of the Risen Christ: body, soul and divinity. The Lord Himself nourishes us in the Eucharist, giving us real and everlasting food for our faith journey.
OUR PRAYER
Lord, you are the Eucharistic bread that nourishes us to eternal. Your Presence in bread and wine among us is not only an assurance of your ever-loving presence with us. But your transforming grace and spiritual food make us become what we eat and share in the Eucharist. May the Holy Spirit, Grant us the wisdom each day to understand the Living Bread of Life and the grace to receive this Bread worthily. Amen
