In the Gospel passage today we hear that many of Jesus’ disciples walked away because of what Jesus was telling them about Him being the “Bread come down from Heaven.” I’ve always thought that what these disciples heard was hard to hear. If you can imagine being there, listening to Jesus speak of Himself as the Bread of Life, I think most of us would question Him. After all, these Jews had been taught that drinking blood was wrong and eating meat with blood in it was also wrong. And to consider what Jesus said about eating His own body and drinking His blood had to have been the final straw that broke the camel’s back. As Peter Kreeft, author of Food for the Soul; reflections on the Mass readings states; “Jesus is shocking!”
Yes, much of what Jesus said is shocking. As Mr. Kreeft says, if you don’t think so, you are probably not paying attention. This is just one more example of the Prophet Isaiah’s statements; “For your thoughts are not my thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” God knows that we struggle with His Word. God sent His Son to help us understand His ways, to open our minds to the way, the truth, and the life. And we know this is never easy. It takes faith! Faith will allow us to accept as truth what we cannot grasp, what we will never totally understand on this side of Heaven. Faith is a gift from God, and that is what has brought us here today.
Perhaps those disciples who walked away in our Gospel passage had a conversion later. They, like us, know what happened to Jesus. When He showed power over death itself they may have come to belief. And this belief would have led them to the Eucharist. There they would have remembered what Jesus said about eating His body and drinking His blood. And they would have been in awe!
We, like those first Christians should also be in awe when we come into His presence, when we gather as a family, when we partake of this Divine meal. Yes, Jesus is shocking!
Deacon Ray
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