Homily on “The Bread of Life” based on the Gospel of John 6:1-15:
During this current liturgical year – Cycle B – for our Sunday Gospel readings, we read from the Gospel of Mark but beginning today until August 22 nd with the exception of Sunday, August 15th, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, the gospel readings will be from the gospel of John chapter 6 – to guide the Church to reflect more intently on the mystery of the Eucharist, the Bread of Life.
The Bishops of the United States have proposed a Eucharistic Revival for the
Catholic community in the United States. Preparations are being made to begin the revival in 2022-23, culminating with a Eucharistic Congress in 2024-25.
Of the seven sacraments - the Eucharist occupies a unique place as the "Sacrament of sacraments": "all the other sacraments are ordered to it as to their end." …meaning – the other sacraments prepare us to receive the Eucharist.
Vatican II tells us "The Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian spirituality." (, no. 11; cf. , no. 1324)… meaning - the Eucharist as our starting point to go out into the world of daily life and it takes us back home to the Eucharist after our journey in the world… so, Source and Summit - that is why it is called the Bread of Life.
Therefore, Bishop Soto wrote to the priests and deacons, the pastoral leaders in our Diocese and I quote:
“We are now inviting the faithful to renew a love for the Eucharist and rekindle a desire to unite ourselves with the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus.
The Sundays dedicated to the reflection on the sixth chapter of John provide a good opportunity to teach about the mystery of the Eucharist and encourage more devotion to this Most Blessed Sacrament.
Research has shown that many Catholics do not appreciate the mystery of the
Eucharist. They do not grasp being present to the Lord’s Last Supper and kneeling at the foot of the Lord’s cross on Calvary as we offer the Mass.
They do not recognize the real body and blood of the crucified Christ under the appearance of bread and wine.
Many members of our community may still be hesitant, or some may even be
indifferent to returning to the Sunday Sacrifice of the Mass.
The Eucharist also offers us the path to a greater communion of mind and heart in this fractious time (fractious meaning troublesome or unruly time) for society and the Church.” - Unquote
The bishop suggested a theme for each Sunday and the theme for this Sunday is: The Eucharist as the Sacrament of Charity… meaning – as we heard in the Gospel - Jesus feeds the hungry crowd with an abundance. Jesus’ generous charity to us must in turn lead us to concrete acts of charity also towards others.
So – let me start with this - In the Gospel: “When the people saw the sign He had done (he healed the sick, raised the dead, cured the leper, made the deaf hear and the blind see), they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one Who is to come into the world…”
During these past year and a half with the pandemic and all the other crises, we might have expressed this to God ourselves in frustration – we can imagine people needing or “demanding” God to give more visible signs of His reality and loving presence so we will have deeper and stronger faith…and continue to hope in spite of the darkness brought by the pandemic … which has taken over our lives… We found ourselves afraid and lost.
We lived with a lot of pain and unresolved tensions… that is why very often now we see or hear about people being so impatient and violent and being uncivilized. We experience the pain of sickness, various kinds of personal and professional failure, humiliation, heart breaking losses of loved ones, every kind of disappointments.
Someone has said that an atheist is actually someone who cannot be patient enough with God. There is a lot of truth in that. Patience with God is perhaps our greatest struggle in our faith.
Throughout the Israelites’ forty years in the wilderness, God gave them bread from heaven—without fail. Every morning, they woke to a fine covering of manna on the ground, just enough food for the day. Then, just to be safe, God gave them a double portion on the day before the Sabbath so that they would not have to work on the day of rest. Imagine how moving this must have been for the Israelites. They could trust that God would take care of them—and that he would do it in such a dramatic way!
But over time, the Israelites started complaining… they began to grow tired of the manna (Numbers 11:6). It was the same food, day in, day out, and they lost sight of how wondrous a gift it was. They lost sight too of what their lives would look like if God had not been so gracious to them.
Similarly - How easy it can be for us, as well, to lose sight of the gift that Jesus gives us in the Eucharist – the Bread of Life. After all, we believe that at every Mass, no matter what else happens, ordinary bread and wine are TRAN-SUBSTANTIATED into Jesus’ sacred Body and Blood. Day in, day out, year after year, the same miracle happens on countless altars throughout the world.
On one level, it’s understandable that receiving the Eucharist can become routine for us. We might even begin to lose sight of how special it is. Don’t let that happen! Don’t ever lose faith in what Jesus can do for you through the Eucharist! Before God gave them the manna, the Israelites faced the very real threat of starving to death in the harsh wilderness of Sinai. Similarly, if we didn’t have Jesus’ Body and Blood to nourish and empower us, we too would be lost in the desert of this world. We too would have little hope of reaching the promised land of heaven.
So treasure this gift of the Eucharist. At every Mass, be sure you call to mind what it is – WHO it is - that you are receiving. Let the truths behind the Bread of Life bring you to the altar with a new openness to God’s power and grace.
According to Cardinal Herni de Lubac, Jesuit theologian, after the words of consecration, the most sacred word of the Mass is: “Go” at the end of the mass… reminding us that after having been called out of the world and into the Mass, into the company of angels and saints, having feasted on the Body and Blood of Christ, having been changed and transfigured, we are sent to return to the world on a mission. We must GO to let the life of Christ within us – out - in order to renew the face of the earth… through us.
The celebration of the Eucharist should increase our love for one another and remind us of our responsibilities toward one another. We have a responsibility to share the Good News of Christ not only by our words but also by how we live our lives.
Instead of demanding for signs from God – let us realize that we are called to be the Signs – living Sacraments – of God’s loving presence – to be instruments of His love, grace and mercy for others.
Like Christ, like the Body of Christ – our lives must also be blessed, broken and shared…
Like the blood of Christ, our lives must be poured out in loving service of God and our neighbor.
Every night before we go to sleep, as part of our examination of conscience, we should reflect and ask ourselves: “Was I a taker or was I a giver today?
God bless…
17 th Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 25, 2021
Gospel Reading: John 6:1-15
