THE EUCHARIST: CHRIST’S “HARDEST” TEACHING
The first hard saying is Jesus’ insistence that the Eucharist is His Body and Blood. That, we must eat His true Flesh and drink His true Blood as our true food. As our necessary daily food to sustain us on our journey through the desert of this life to the Promised Land of Heaven.
The Eucharist remains a “hard saying” because it goes against our senses. It is contrary to four of our human senses out of the five senses. These senses are utterly deceived, for the Eucharistic elements still look, taste, smell, and feel like bread and wine. Only the sense of hearing is safely believed: “This is my Body … This is my Blood … The Bread that I will give is my flesh.”
FAITH AND CONVICTION IN THE EUCHARISTIC CHRIST
Fundamentally, Christianity is a spirituality of total declaration of Christ as the Lord and Saviour out of personal faith conviction. Hence, the Christian life is a practical living of the highest moral standard. This is what faith profession or confession means or implies to the Christian vocations.
A life without a commitment to anything is baseless and heading towards ruin. Today’s readings invite us to a committed Christian life of faith and practice. The Christian vocation invites us to a deeper faith conviction and commitment to God or Christ and one another.
Our response to physical or spiritual life is also our Christian vocation born out of our conviction. It is also what leads us to a profound commitment to God. In truth, our Christian life and faith are being challenged constantly in the face of divine truth or revelation. That is the Christian life is not static but dynamic to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and our submission to do the will of God.
CHRISTIAN LIFE
In the last analysis, Christianity is not a philosophy that we accept. It is not theology or doctrine which we must understand. Nor a theory to which we give allegiance. It is a personal response to Jesus Christ. Rather, it is a conviction to follow Christ. A commitment to lay down our life for him as well. It is the allegiance or love that a man gives from his heart. This is because he could not allow himself to do anything else.
PERSONAL CONVICTION THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT
Hence, the personal or communal conviction to follow God intimately through the commitment to the Christian vocation is not an emotional decision but a rational one. It is a decision to stand alone. It is a decision that makes us lose everything, including our lives. We stand to be mocked, called names, rejected and even persecuted or killed.
Life is an everyday choice to be committed to what we believe or are convinced of. These could be our faith, sense of justice, friendship, relationship, marriage, religious or priestly conviction to opt for God and God alone. We cannot live life and the Christian life without personal faith and commitment to something or a person.
Equally, what gives a sense of purpose to life and existence in our life journey amid the uncertainties of the circumstances of life is our faith in God. This is an assuring and unswerving faith, and if we stand with God, life and its victory will be ours.
OUR THEME
The readings of this Sunday invite us to a sense of personal conviction in our commitment to follow God. Furthermore, they reaffirm that our Christian vocation is not born from emotional or momentous decisions but practical and rational conviction in God.
These Sunday readings challenge us to live a life of commitment to our Christian vocations. That is, either in the martial, priestly, or religious life or single life. The base of the solid life commitment is rooted in God and Christ, who shows us the perfect examples.
It is only in God that we have the fulfilment of our quest for life. In Christ Jesus, God gave us the solid reason for our life quest to eternal life. Christ’s word, his flesh and blood are the real food that nourishes and satisfies us to everlasting life. Any other lifestyle leads to a lack of satisfaction, hollowness and emptiness.
FIRST 24:1-2, 15-18 READING: JOSHUA
In the first reading of today, Joshua dramatically challenged the household of Israel to take a stand for God and with God or be on their own. Openly, he declared that he and his household were for the Lord.
In the land of Shechem, before reaching the Promised Land, Joshua, the leader, judge and servant of God, called the people of Israel to accountability and firm decision-making. He took them through the memory lane of their history. God called their fathers, Abraham and his descendants, and promised them the territory. They were about to enter. He reminded them of God’s liberating work in Land Egypt. When they were slaves and how through the desert God protected, saw to their needs.
Now, they are about to enter the Promised Land. They must decide whom they will serve or worship. Or whether they will serve foreign gods of Mesopotamian or the Amorites or the Living God who brought their fathers out of slavery in Egypt.
JOSHUA’S STAND FOR GOD
Joshua without hesitation declared that he and his household would serve the Lord. Concurrently, the people of Israel taking an oath upon themselves did not only acknowledge the doings of God among them. They also declared their allegiance to God forever.
The invitation and challenge of Joshua to the people of Israel is a way of establishing communal ascent to unity and clearing the unanimity of the decisions to follow God. It is the intervention of God in the history of the people of Israel. That sets the stage for confession or profession of this loyalty and obligation to serve and worship Him. Above all, Israel’s declaration of allegiance and obedience came with a sense of reverence, service and fear. With an attitude of sincerity and faithfulness towards God.
PSALM 34
The Psalmist in Psalm 34 invites us to taste and see that the Lord is good. God’s blessing, goodness and generosity are all upon us, and he always recuses, defends and protects us from evil, famine and disasters.
It is a psalm where the believer asks others to join her in thanking God for answers to prayer, deliverance from illness, provision for the journey, and so on.
Therefore, it is to assure the believer that whatever the outcome of any particular experience of persecution, grief, or pain. The nature of God as a rescuer offers hope and peace. This truth makes the act of worship amid suffering possible.
SECOND READING: EPHESIANS 5:21-32
St. Paul, using the commitment of Christ to his church faithfully and sacrificially challenged wives and husbands to be committed to one another in love and respect.
For Paul, our Christian vocation in the martial life is a perfect conviction and commitment to God. Hence, loving marriage is an image of the love between Christ and the Church. The best way of submission to God is because marriage from the Christian perspective is regarded as the perfect union of body, mind, and soul between a man and a woman.
According to St Paul, Christians and the Church must be subjected to Christ, just like a wife is subjected to her husband. Equally, just as Christ loved his mystical body: the Christian Church and gave up his life for her, a husband must love, cherish and protect his wife.
The ability to be subjected and loved is the principal characteristic of our Christian vocation to God. It is the way of sincerity and faithfulness to our commitment and conviction in Christ.
Whatever love or relationship between Christ and his Church must also be the model for the relationship between God and us. Especially, this should also be reflected in our relationship in marital life.
CHRIST’S LOVE FOR HIS CHURCH
It must be a sacrificial love. A husband must love his wife as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for the Church.
It must never be a selfish love. Christ loved the Church, not because the Church might do things for him, but that he might do all things for the Church.
Therefore, the husband is not only the head of his wife along with his family. As Paul said he also affirms that the husband must love the wife as Christ loved the Church. With a love of a husband that, never exercises a tyranny of control. Rather a love ready to make any sacrifice for his wife’s good.
It must be a purifying love. Christ cleansed and consecrated the Church, his bride with the washing of water of baptism. That is the day when each member of the Church confesses his or her faith. And was baptised in Christ Jesus.
By the washing of baptism and the confession of faith, Christ sought to make for himself a Church, cleansed and consecrated, until there was neither a soiling spot nor a disfiguring wrinkle upon it.
Any love which drags a person down is false. Accordingly, any human love that coarsens instead of transforming the beloved character of the individual is not true love. Or, any human love that necessitates deceit and weakens the moral fibre of any relationship is not love. Real love is the great purifier of life.
It must be a caring love. A man must love his wife as he loves his own body. Real love loves not to extract service. Nor to ensure that its physical comfort is attended to. No, it cherishes the one it loves.
There is something far wrong when a man regards his wife, consciously or unconsciously as a slave. That is, as simply the one who cooks his meals and washes his clothes and cleans his house and trains his children.
It is an unbreakable love. For the sake of this love, a man must leave his parent and cleave to his wife. They become one flesh. He is as united to her. As members of the human body, we are united with each other. And would no more think of separating from her than of tearing his own body apart. Indeed, it was an ideal in an age when men and women changed partners with as little thought as they changed clothes.
The whole relationship is in the Lord. In the Christian home, Jesus is an ever-present guest, though unseen, guest. There are not two partners in Christian marriage, but three–and the third is Christ.
This is the love between Christ, his Church, and every Christian, a member of his mystical body. It is the love that should exist between married couples. We all should reflect this love in our Christian vocation through personal conviction and commitment to one another and God.
THE GOSPEL: JOHN 6:60-69
Jesus’ teaching on the Eucharist is an unconformity and non-compromised one! It is the hardest thing to hear from a preacher. Many could not commit themselves to it. Not that they could understand the teaching, but that it was too hard for them to accept.
- He a human is a living bread from heaven.
- This living bread is his flesh for the life world.
- His flesh and blood are true and real food.
- Whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood has life and hope of resurrection, abides in Him, and lives for Him.
So, they grumbled and abandoned him! However, he used the occasion to challenge his disciples to decide and commit deeply to gospel demand. Jesus did not conform to the truth of his teaching to please the deserting crowd. Rather he stood firm and waited on the few who could accept it.
THE “HARD” TEACHING OF CHRIST: UNCOMPROMISED TRUTH
- The gospel passage brings us to the end of Jesus’ uncompromising discourse on the Eucharistic meal.
- That provoked a lot of controversies then and is still up today in the Christian fold.
- The Eucharistic meal as the centre of the Christian faith and celebration must come down to personal conviction and commitment to faith in Christ Jesus.
- Jesus challenges them to decide as there is no half-truth to the Eucharistic teaching.
- In the Eucharist, his body is real flesh and his blood is a real drink.
- And anyone who does not eat this heavenly bread (his real flesh) or drink the chalice of wine (his real blood) will not have life (eternal life) in him.
As a result of this “hard” teaching, many of Jesus’ followers deserted him with the pretence that his teaching on the Eucharist was “intolerable” and who could accept such teaching?
FAITH DECISION TO FOLLOW OR STAY WITH CHRIST
When many turn away from Jesus, he turns to his close friends, who must also choose where to belong. It must seem like the end of Jesus’ ministry and kingdom project as many deserted him. Though, He explained to them that anything is possible with God. This is because it is the Spirit of God that gives life. Thus, his spoken words are spirit and life to all who believe in him.
It is obvious, that Jesus knew from the onset that many would not accept his teaching on the Eucharist. The Eucharistic meal as the centre of the Christian faith and celebration must come down to personal conviction and commitment to faith in Christ Jesus.
Therefore, Jesus seeing how many were leaving him, does not want to compel the twelve to stay. So, he asked them to make their choice. Jesus challenges them to decide as there is no half-truth to the Eucharistic teaching.
In the Eucharist, his body is real flesh and his blood is a real drink. And anyone who does not eat this heavenly bread (his real flesh) or drink the chalice of wine (his real blood) will not have life in him.
FAITH IN CHRIST AND THE EUCHARISTIC TEACHING IS QUITE A COMPLEX ISSUE WITH THE LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT OF GOD. THE GOSPEL OF TODAY PRESENTS US WITH SOME FUNDAMENTAL FACTS ABOUT FOLLOWING CHRIST.
There is a strong assertion that is at the heart of any religion. There is also an unfathomable mystery. That is a sense of mystery beyond the logical human mind.
This mystery of God, especially God becoming Man and dwelling among us is incomprehensible to men of empirical minds. Equally, becoming the bread of life which came down from heaven to give us everlasting life is difficult to understand. However, these mysteries through faith are not difficult to accept.
It is not the intellectual difficulty that keeps men from becoming Christians. It is the height of moral demand or standard accepting Christ meant for them.
THE REAL DIFFICULTY OF MANY EMBRACING CHRIST OR CHRISTIANITY IS TWO-FOLD
(1) It demands of them an act of total surrender to Christ as our Lord and Saviour. That means an acceptance of him as the final authority over their lives.
(2) It demands a moral standard of the highest level that challenges us to personal conviction and commitment to God.
It is evident that many men reject Christianity or refuse to follow Christ not because he puzzles intellect but because he challenges their lives and lifestyles.
The disciples and followers of Christ find it difficult to believe that He is the bread, the essence of life, which came down from heaven to give life and meaning to human existence. This is the bone of contention in the gospel of today.
Christ did not prove to them or justify his Eucharistic teaching as the living bread which came to give life in abundance. Instead, Christ invited his followers to compare his body and blood as real food to his resurrection and ascension to heaven. Thereby Jesus shows one of the many manifestations of the power of God when there is faith.
LIFE-GIVING WORD AND SPIRIT
Furthermore, Christ told his disciples and followers that his words are spirit and life. This means that Christ alone can tell us what life is. Again, He alone also gives us the spirit in which life must be lived. This gives us the strength to live it.
Subsequently, Christ declared that all that matter is the life-giving power of the Spirit of God. The flesh is of no help. The things of the flesh all gain value from the spirit in which they are done.
Life takes its value from its purpose and its goal. Christ alone can give us true meaning in life and the power to work out that purpose against the constant opposition that comes from without and within.
IN CHRIST JESUS NO CROWD MENTALITY
With or in Christ Jesus, there is no bandwagon or “follow, follow” mentality. It is a life of commitment born out of personal conviction or experience of Christ. Hence, Christianity as a spirituality of following Christ is not a thing of masses or numbers with crowd mentality but conviction, commitment and acceptance of Christ as personal Lord and Saviour.
This implies that whoever is hostile, indifferent, and rejects Christ and his teaching shuts him or herself out of the door of grace.
WHY WAS THERE DEFECTION OR REJECTION OF CHRIST AND HIS TEACHING?
Christ and his teaching demand absolute faith in God and a lifestyle of the highest moral standard. This has harsh religious and social consequences, the cross, isolation and name-calling. For many, then, his confrontation with religious leaders spell out a disaster that they must avoid by staying away from Christ.
The mentality of the deserted disciples and followers is that followership with Christ is only in good times when there are dangers, risks or suffering. They were fair-weather followers.
For others, the passing of years has brought with them the deterioration of purpose and dreams. That is to say, life or years can be cruel as they take away our ideals, enthusiasms, dreams and loyalties. Hence, quitting before total failure is the safest way. There are a lot of Judas Iscariot and many others who deserted and felt lost in Christ’s kingdom project of salvation.
WHY DID THE TWELVE STAY BACK AND REMAIN WITH CHRIST?
Peter’s experience and conviction were not only inspired by God. It was also born out of his faith in who Christ is. This clarity of Christology is key to sticking with Christ when many disciples deserted him.
Therefore, when Christ called his intimate disciples to a moment of decision, he humbly asked them, “Do you also wish to go away?” On behalf of the twelve apostles and close friends of Jesus, Simon Peter gave the most encouraging answer to Christ.
He did not answer Christ out of pity or sympathy that everyone else was leaving him but out of strong faith and personal conviction, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.” He added, “We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Here, it was a personal determination that led to the faith declaration of Peter in Christ Jesus. Even though there were many things about Christ and his teachings, he did not understand. Many mysteries about Christ and his teaching bewildered and puzzled him like anyone else.
However, his relationship with Christ and his conviction of who Christ is has led him to a profound commitment to Him.
FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS
A. What does following Christ mean to you? Picking and choosing his teachings what appeals to you? Conveniences and privileges of good times only? Theological analysis and discussions? Personal conviction and commitment? Total faith in Him as Lord and Saviour of your Christian faith and life? And a call to the highest moral standard of witnessing with your life and lifestyle?
B. Does Christianity mean following the bandwagon or popular currency? Is a spirituality of personal stand with the truth out conviction?
C. Do your stand for Christ encourage others to imitate you? Or are you this shallow, light and fluid person with no conviction for the truth, God or Christ?
D. Is Christ and his teaching intolerable or too hard for you? Or did you strive to understand the mystery of Chris and his teachings? Through the word of God? An encounter with the Eucharistic Christ or in prayer and meditation for divine illumination?
E. What is the driving force of your commitment to God or Christ or the Christian vocation of marriage, priestly, religious or single life?
FUNDAMENTAL POINTS OF TODAY REFLECTION
1. Faith in Christ demands a fundamental decision to stand with Him no matter what.
2. Christ and his teaching called us out and demanded the highest moral standard of commitment to God.
3. It is not the crowd or many followers that makes Christianity viable or worthy.
4. Christianity is not a philosophy, theory, theology or doctrine that requires intellectual jingoism to understand or accept. It is faith and conviction in Christ and the action of the life-giving Spirit of God.
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, your invitation to decide and commit ourselves to you unreservedly. This is hard without the life-giving spirit that proceeds from you and the Father: the Holy Spirit. We ask you each day to help us make you our daily bread, our source of life, and give us the courage to follow your footsteps and to “taste and see the goodness of the Lord. Amen!
