The Real Food and the Real Drink. 20th Sunday Ordinary Time of the Year B

Sunday Breakfast with the Word 20th Sunday Ordinary Time of the Year B

 

Proverbs 9:1-6, Ephesians 5:15-20, Gospel, John 6:51-58

 

In a small village in Nigeria, lived two friends named Emeka and Uchenna. They were known for their strong bond and shared love for exploring life’s deep mysteries. They often engaged in discussions about spirituality and the teachings they believed in.

 

One fine evening, while sitting under a majestic baobab tree, Emeka and Uchenna engaged in a heartfelt conversation about faith and the profound words of Jesus.

 

They pondered over Jesus’ statement that His body is real food and His blood is real drink, seeking a deeper understanding of this spiritual concept.

Inspired by their conversation, Emeka and Uchenna decided to embark on a journey to unravel the true meaning behind Jesus’ words. They had heard stories of an ancient monastery nestled high in the mountains, where wise monks resided, deeply dedicated to their spiritual practices.

After days of trekking, they reached the monastery, where they were warmly welcomed by the wise and serene monks.

 

Emeka and Uchenna shared their quest for enlightenment and were overjoyed when the monks offered to guide them.

In the following days, the monks brought two pots, one was filled with assorted meals while the other one was only a book.

 

Uchenna pounced on the food, while Emeka decided to open the books first, because he was so curious about the contents. Uchenna  felt tired after eating. He decided to sleep little and wake up, when he woke up, the food in His stomach digested and they felt empty again. He felt to have some more again.

 

Hence, the book Emeka opened was focusing and teaching  about the essence of true nourishment. The book taught about the significance of compassion, love, and kindness as the real food that sustains not only the body but also the soul. It teaches further how to help a community live in common. It contains everything about life.

 

The book emphasized that serving and helping others with selflessness is a way of partaking in the divinity that Jesus spoke of. Emeka was filled with joy. He found what He was looking for.

 

Uchenna was motivated by temporary pleasures and later left with nothing.

 

Emeka was profoundly moved by those experiences and the teachings of the wise monks.

 

He  realized that the concept of real food and real drink went beyond mere physical sustenance. It was a reminder to nurture their souls and cultivate a life in connection with others and the divine. But Uchenna sought for the life that is pleasurable and left with nothing.

 

The Love of God

 

In the boundless love for humanity, God made His greatest sacrifice by sending His only Son into the world.

 

Jesus, the Word of God, embraced human form and walked among us, radiating His divine presence. At the last supper, He transformed the simple bread, saying, “This is my body,” urging us to remember Him always.

 

This act of sharing His very flesh was an extraordinary gift, nourishing us for eternal salvation.

From the divine realm to the humble form of a baby, and from the baby Jesus to the tangible presence of bread, His journey epitomizes the profound love God has for mankind.

 

To ensure His eternal companionship and guidance, Jesus promised His Church, “I will be with you until the end of time.”

 

In the Holy Eucharist, Jesus has bequeathed the Church with an extraordinary treasure. The mystical union with His body and blood is truly transformative, a gateway to encounter the divine. As we partake in this sacred sacrament, we become vessels of His grace, experiencing His boundless love and mercy. Let us rejoice in this awe-inspiring gift, cherishing the miracle of communion and embracing the profound depths of God’s love in our lives.

 

Real Food and Real Drink What Could Jesus Mean?

 

In the gospel, Jesus tells His followers, “‘I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day, For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink”.

 

When Jesus refers to “real food” and “real drink,” he is speaking metaphorically about a real and powerful spiritual nourishment. By calling it real, Jesus is revealing the sustaining and satisfying nature of this powerful food.

 

Hence, Jesus was emphasizing the importance of seeking Him as our spiritual sustenance, rather than solely focusing on physical needs only.

 

When Jesus says, “For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.” Jesus is referring to the act of partaking in communion or the Eucharist, which is a significant Christian sacrament. The bread represents the body of Christ, and the wine symbolizes his blood.

 

Through this sacrament, we are also reminded of the sacrifice of Jesus and are spiritually nourished by his presence.

 

Overall, Jesus’ statement about “real food” and “real drink” points to the idea that true satisfaction and fulfillment come from a deep connection with Him rather than merely seeking physical or material needs.

This is where we make mistakes.

 

 

The Real Presence of Jesus Christ

 

The celebration of today is simply a profound mystery, that Jesus Christ is truly present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity under the appearances of bread and wine in the Holy Eucharist. This belief is simply based upon the words of Jesus Himself when He instituted the Eucharist.

 

1. Jesus took the bread and said, “This is my body” (Mt 26:26), and He took the cup filled with wine and said, “This is my blood” (Mt 26:28). When Jesus said, “This is my body,” He was not holding a flesh, He was holding a bread but  He declared that the bread actually is His Body, and the wine is His blood. This is beyond scientific investigation. We take Jesus at His word because He is truth (Jn 14:6), He came into the world to testify to the truth (Jn 18:37), and the words that He spoke are spirit and life (Jn 6:63)Jesus cannot lie or deceive us.

 

2. In the gospel today, He says “I am the living bread which has come down from heaven’ Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.By using the word “I am” Jesus makes a personal claim. “I am” indicates who you are.

 

3. That we do not see it does not mean it is not true. This is beyond human level of reasoning. This is really what the jews also failed to understand. The gospel reports that they were even very sad to understand this and they started arguing among themselves, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’.

 

This is how many christians failed to understand this mystery. Even some Catholics like the Jews ask “how can the sacred species be the body and blood of Jesus Christ and some do not even believe in it.

 

Many receive because others are receiving, forgetting the true worth of having the body of the divine in us.

 

In John 6:55, He says “For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink”. That means the food is real. The food is not ordinary.

 

Psalm 78:25 while referring to the manna calls it the food of the angels.

 

4. In Acts 2:42, 46, It was reported that the apostles in a spirit of communion continued the tradition, Jesus handed over them. In  1 Corinthians 11:24-25, Paul affirmed that He met this tradition and Jesus requested that this should be done in remembrance of Him.”

 

Be Intoxicated with the Spiritual

 

The second reading emphasizes the importance of living wisely and being filled with the Spirit, rather than indulging in worldly pleasures such as excessive wine consumption.

 

1.Many times we do not even think about our spiritual lives. We only focus on our material and physical needs to the extent we neglect the souls.

 

So, today Paul warns that instead of being intoxicated with wine and the pleasures of this world, we have to seek and intoxicate ourselves with the spiritual.

 

It encourages us to be intentional in our actions, to discern and follow the will of the Lord, and to be grateful to God in all circumstances.

 

2.In the gospel, Jesus says, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” Here, Jesus is referring to himself as the source of spiritual sustenance, the bread of life.

 

Just as the second reading today encourages us to be filled with the Spirit instead of being intoxicated by wine, John 6:55-58 explains that those who partake in the body and blood of Christ, symbolized in the act of communion, will have eternal life.

 

3.This act of communion represents a deep connection with Christ, nourishing the spirit and bringing believers closer to God. Therefore, we have to intoxicate ourselves with this deeper communion with Jesus Christ. This is the secret of eternal life and the secret of salvation.

 

So we have to focus on seeking this spiritual nourishment over worldly pleasures. They remind believers to prioritize their relationship with God, filled with the Spirit rather than being consumed by temporary and fleeting distractions.

 

Hence, when we analyze our actions today, it is obvious we are doing the opposite.

 

Benefits to receive From the “Real Food” and “Real Drink”

 

When we critically analyze the gospel, we shall discover that Jesus gradually revealed many benefits to receive when we desire to nourish ourselves with His body and blood which is the real food and real drink.

 

1.The Secret of Eternal Life: Just as Elijah ate bread and worked for forty days and fourty nights, the real food and real drink which Jesus would give, is the secret of our spiritual strength to conquer every challenge we may have in this life journey.

 

Jesus categorically says that anyone who partakes in his flesh and blood will have eternal life. This signifies the promise of salvation and the assurance of life beyond earthly existence.

 

If you really want to have eternal life, desire Jesus with all your heart, more than you desire that pleasure that takes you away from Him.

 

2.Union with Christ: In the gospel, Jesus also reminds us  that those who consume his flesh and blood will live in Him, and He will live in them.

 

This points to a deep spiritual connection and union with Christ. Whenever we consume the eucharist, we totally and intimately connect ourselves with Jesus.

 

 

3.Spiritual Nourishment: Jesus calls his body real food and real drink, it means that just as physical food and drink are essential for sustaining our bodies, consuming Jesus’ flesh and blood provides spiritual nourishment and sustenance for our souls. It is the secret of grace and many spiritual gifts.

 

 

4.Secret of Life : Jesus said “ As I, who am sent by the living Father, myself draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will draw life from me. So, By eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood, we can draw life from Jesus

 

5.. Resurrection on the Last Day: Jesus promises that those who consume his flesh and blood will be raised up on the last day. This simply reveals that there is a hope of everlasting life for those who partake of the Eucharist

 

6.Spiritual Renewal and Transformation: Consuming the real food and real drink offered by Jesus symbolizes a spiritual renewal and transformation. It signifies a continual process of being spiritually rejuvenated and growing in faith.

Conclusion

 

1. To show us how much He loves us, Jesus left for us a food to nourish our souls. Through this food we eat eternal life. Through this food, Jesus gives us life and constantly transforms our souls.When we receive the holy communion with a pure heart, we constantly begin to transform. Today He tells the jews In all truth I tell you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. As the living Father sent me and I draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will also draw life from me. Let us not forget that everything we eat in one way or another affects us. And the food works according to its nutritious value. The body of Jesus continually transforms us, because the source is divine, by receiving the body and blood of Jesus we are filled with the power and life of the divine.

 

2.We are like earthly wayfarers,people on a journey, and just as the people of old ate bread and were sustained, the body of Jesus sustains our journey beyond the earthly realm. It fills our hearts with graces that we need to succeed on earth and conquer every temptation. Jesus says “anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise that person up on the last day. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever.

 

3.By the Eucharist we share in the life giving graces of this food. Jesus comes to us and makes a home. We become one with the Lord. He says ‘Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him.Through the Eucharist we share in the unity of one head,  we become with Christ.

 

4.If Jesus is a healer, the Eucharist can heal every infirmity because the Eucharist is Jesus. If Jesus can work great miracles while he was on earth, then His continual presence in the Blessed sacrament can still work great wonders, the limit and the difference between then and now is our faith. Many christians only go to mass, but go for the sake of going, some use the mass as an avenue to find new friends and read newspapers. Many of us have lost the sanctity of the Holy Eucharist.

 

5.Today the sacredness of the species has been desecrated by us. Many receive Jesus without inward preparation. In 1 Cor 11;27-30.  Paul says  whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat the bread and drink from the cup.

 

For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have died”.

 

Let us purify our hearts from sins before we receive the body of the Lord. Be at the mass on time and make sure you are there before the priest says “brethren let us acknowledge our sins and  prepare ourselves to celebrate this sacred mystery”. May God help us to continually come close to Him. God bless you.