The Body and Blood of Christ May 25, 2008

Gospel John 6:51-58 Jesus gave this teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum, the city he had made the headquarters of his public ministry, shortly after the multiplication of loaves and fishes on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus exhibits a certain frustration that the crowds are coming to him for blessings…healings and food…for life in this world more than those which prepare and strengthen one for eternal life past this world. Jesus compares himself to the manna which his ancestors received during their 40-year sojourn in the desert. He is the “bread come down from heaven” that will enable those who receive him to live, not just for the day, but forever. Mindful that the apostles didn’t grasp Jesus’ true mission and identity until after his resurrection, the teachings expressed here would have been nearly impossible for crowds in that setting to understand. These teachings speak to Christians at the time when John is writing his gospel, people concerned with theological issues including Jesus’ dual nature, oneness with the Father and Spirit, and true presence in the Eucharist.

Reading 1, Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14b-16a   The major portion of the book of Deuteronomy is presented as Moses’ final words of direction and encouragement for the Israelite nation. Moses reviews the history of God’s care for them, particularly the past 40 years sincetheir departure from Egypt. Manna is a resinous substance which exudes from the “tamarix mannifera”, a type of tamarisk bush very common in the desert through which the Israelites passed. Even today it is used for food by nomadic peoples. It became a symbol of God’s providential care for his people. The phrase “not by bread alone does man live but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord” is usually understood as expansive...that is, we live not only on the strength of food for our bodies but, more importantly, on food for the spirit (this interpretation is drawn from Jesus’ temptation in the desert, Matthew 4:4). Jewish sources also point the other direction...that man does not even need bread, the most common food of the Israelite meal prior to leaving Egypt, since God will provide something for the people to eat. Moses recounts that God “let you be afflicted with hunger and then fed you with manna”. God used the hardships in the desert to teach the Israelites that they could depend on God and to test whether thrust would lead to obedience.

Reading II, 1 Corinthians 10:16-17  The bread and cup are a SHARING in the body and blood of Christ...in partaking the one bread and cup we are one body. In chapter 12 of this letter to the Corinthians, Paul emphasizes that we are one body, the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27). As such, the individualistic “me and Jesus” attitude so many Catholics have when receiving communion must be expanded to “me, Jesus and the full community of believers”. In chapter 11 Paul warns the Corinthians that, if they fail to discern the presence of Christ in the rest of the believers and treat them with the same respect due to Jesus himself, they are “eating and drinking a judgment on themselves (1 Cor. 11:35). The person who receives Jesus in communion receives more than a spiritual oneness with Jesus but a responsibility to treat others as Jesus and support them as the Body of Christ at all times.