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Jesus said to the crowds: “I am the living bread that came down
from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the
bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” John
6:51
It must have been somewhat shocking to the people who heard Jesus
say this for the first time. Immediately after Jesus said this, we
read that “The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, ‘How can
this man give us his flesh to eat?’” Jesus addressed their
confusion even more directly by saying, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you
do not have life within you.” Those who were confused must have
become even more confused, and those who believed must have
deepened their faith as they heard Jesus teach so clearly and
profoundly.
Of course, Jesus was speaking about the Eucharist. The Eucharist is
truly His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. We know that. We
believe it. But from time to time, it is a helpful spiritual
practice to revisit our Lord’s very direct and definitive teaching.
On the deepest level, the Eucharist will always remain a profound
mystery of faith. How can we eat His flesh and drink His blood? To
someone without faith and without a basic understanding of the
Eucharist, this teaching seems shocking and unbelievable. In fact,
it’s easy to understand how some of the first hearers of this
teaching quarreled among themselves in confusion. For that reason,
we must listen to Jesus’ words with the spiritual gift of
understanding so that we are not among those who are confused.
Understanding is a gift of the Holy Spirit that opens our minds to
the deep spiritual truths Jesus is revealing. If we attempt to
listen to this teaching using our human reason alone, we will never
understand.
When you consider Jesus’ teaching on the Holy Eucharist, what do
you understand and believe? Especially consider what goes through
your mind when you attend the Holy Mass and go forward to receive
Communion. What normally takes place within you at that moment?
Some come forward distracted or even disinterested, paying more
attention to the others around them than to the Eucharist. Others
simply go forward out of habit because that’s what they have always
done. Some see the Eucharist more as a symbol of our sharing in
God’s banquet. But some come forward with a deep spiritual hunger
and thirst for God, receive Him in faith, love Him deeply as they
consume Him, and are filled with hopeful anticipation that their
reception of this holy gift will transform them interiorly and set
them more firmly on the path to holiness. Which person are you most
like?
Believing in the Holy Eucharist and receiving it with the utmost
faith and devotion will only happen when we believe. But believing
doesn’t come automatically. It first requires understanding. And
understanding will only come when we allow our minds to engage the
mystery and teaching of Jesus, ponder it, contemplate it, penetrate
it and open ourselves to God’s gentle and revealing voice. Words do
not suffice to explain this mystery. Prayer that opens oneself to
the voice of God alone suffices. Reflect, today, upon how you
approach Holy Communion each week. Start by thinking about the last
few times you went forward to receive our Lord in this way. From
there, think about how deeply you understand that moment. Is it
transforming for you? Are you among those who hunger and thirst for
Jesus? Do you notice the spiritual effects that take place within
you as a result of your reception of the Eucharist? If so, then
deepen your faith by committing yourself to a more prayerful
participation in the Mass the next time you attend. If not, then
try to step back and examine that which you actually believe, are
confused about or do not believe. There is no greater gift we will
ever receive in life than the Eucharist. Believe it with all your
heart, and the Eucharist will change your life.
My Eucharistic Lord, I do believe; help my unbelief. I thank You
for the very gift of Yourself, given to me in the reception of Holy
Communion. Please continue to teach me about this Gift, dear Lord.
Open my mind to understand so that I will always come forward to
receive with the utmost faith, love and hope. Jesus, I trust in
You.
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Featured image above: I Am the Bread of Life, via flickr
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