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Jesus said to the Jewish 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.”
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give
us his flesh to eat?” John 6:51–52
It must have been shocking to Jesus’ listeners the first time He
boldly proclaimed that He would give His flesh as spiritual food.
Their reaction makes this clear: “How can this man give us his
flesh to eat?” Jesus did not back down or soften what He had just
proclaimed. Instead, He began a lengthy and direct discourse,
starting with these words:
“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. Whoever
eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will
raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood
is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in
me and I in him.” (John 6:53–56)
What would you have thought had you been among the first hearers?
We’re told the people quarreled, indicating division. Some, we
later read, murmured among themselves, saying: “This saying is
hard; who can accept it?” And tragically, many of Jesus’ disciples
left Him and returned to their former way of life (cf. John
6:60–66).
Despite this apparent failure and loss of disciples, Jesus did not
retract or revise His teaching. Instead, He turned to the Twelve
and asked if they too wished to leave. Peter, with clarity and
faith, responded with one of the most profound statements of
discipleship in all of Scripture: “Master, to whom shall we go? You
have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are
convinced that you are the Holy One of God” (cf. John
6:67–69).
In many ways, Peter’s words are as important for us today as Jesus’
own words introducing the Eucharist. Why? Because Peter shows us
how to respond when we encounter divine mysteries beyond human
understanding. The Eucharist is one of the most central of these
mysteries.
Do you believe in the Eucharist? Do you believe that it is truly
the flesh and blood of the Son of God—His Body and Blood, Soul and
Divinity? Though many of us have learned this teaching from
childhood and accept it on some level, few penetrate the depth of
the mystery we behold at every Mass. Saint John Vianney spoke
beautifully of the Eucharist, revealing his profound reverence for
this Gift: “If we really understood the Mass, we would die for
joy.” And: “There is nothing so great as the Eucharist. If God had
something more precious, He would have given it to us.” He also
said: “How beautiful it is! After the Consecration, the good God is
there as He is in Heaven.”
It’s easy to approach the Holy Mass out of routine rather than with
the depth of faith possessed by the saints. But that must be our
goal. We must believe that we would truly “die of joy” if we
understood the Mass.
The Solemnity of Corpus Christi is our annual invitation to step
back and reflect on what we believe—and how devoutly we participate
in the Mass and receive Holy Communion. We need this reminder so
that our worship and faith do not grow lax.
Reflect today on Jesus’ unwavering clarity: “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.” Believe what He says. The
Eucharist is not a symbol; it is the greatest Divine Mystery on
earth. In the Eucharist, we kneel before God and consume Him—so
that we may become what we eat: the Mystical Body of Christ.
Let us close by praying the opening verses of a hymn Saint Thomas
Aquinas wrote at the request of Pope Urban IV for the newly
instituted Feast of Corpus Christi in 1264—the Pange
Lingua, meaning, “Proclaim, O Tongue.” Down in adoration
falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we
hail;
Lo! o’er ancient forms
departing,
Newer rites of grace
prevail;
Faith for all defects
supplying,
Where the feeble senses fail.
To the everlasting Father,
And the Son who
reigns on high,
With the Holy Ghost
proceeding
Forth from each
eternally,
Be salvation, honor,
blessing,
Might, and endless majesty.
Amen.
The last supper, via Adobe Stock
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