20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Prv 9:1-6; Eph 5:15-20; Jn 6:51-58

Do you believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist? Or, are you among those people who consider the bread and wine in the Mass as mere symbols of the presence of God?

In the gospel, Jesus says: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (Jn 6:51). The Jewish people who first heard these words from Jesus couldn’t believe their ears. Did he say he is the bread from heaven? How could that be possible when we know his parents? Did he say if we eat his flesh we will have eternal life? Is he making us outright cannibals? Because of the supernatural quality of Jesus’ teaching, many decided to stop following him.

However, in spite of the people’s unbelief and the desertion of many of his followers, Jesus never wavered from his words. He did not say: “I’m sorry for giving you a hard time. What I really mean is that the bread only represents me symbolically. I didn’t really mean you have to eat my flesh.” No. There was never a turnabout by Jesus. Instead, he continued to proclaim: “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink” (Jn 6:53-55).

The Church would later explain the words of Jesus in the context of the Eucharist. The Lord understood himself as a sacrificial lamb being offered for the forgiveness of humanity’s sins. The sacrificial tone of his words at the Last Supper is quite clear: “Take, eat, this is my body”; “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:26-28). The commandment to celebrate the Eucharist in his memory (1 Cor 11:25) is understood by the Church as the Lord’s desire to perpetuate the sacrifice of Calvary which he offered voluntarily for the life of the world.

What is the relevance of this gospel for us today? The gospel challenges us to deepen our faith in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Saint Cyril gave us this advice: “Do not doubt whether this is true, but rather receive the word of the Savior in faith, for since he is truth, he can’t lie.”

We can show our strong faith in the eucharist, first of all, by disposing ourselves to receive the consecrated host and wine every time we celebrate the Mass. This would mean having a regular time for examination of conscience and confessions. The body and blood of Christ, under the forms of bread and wine, would nourish and give true life and joy to all who receive them with a good heart.

Moreover, we can manifest our faith in the real presence of Christ in the eucharist by giving full respect and love to the Blessed Sacrament. In front of the Blessed Sacrament we have to kneel down because we are in the presence of the Almighty. What should amaze us is the fact that God in Jesus fell down to his knees many times on the road to Calvary, all for the love of humanity. Isn’t it absolutely fitting that we also kneel down before him in praise and thanksgiving?

One day an Arabian prince, Abd-ed-Kader, while passing through the streets of Marseilles with a French official, met a priest who was carrying holy Viaticum to a dying man. The French official stopped, uncovered his head and knelt. His friend asked him the reason for this gesture.

“I adore my God, whom the priest is carrying to a sick person,” replied the good official. “How is it possible,” the prince asked, “for you to believe that God who is so great, makes himself so little and lets himself go even to the homes of the poor. We Mohammedans have a much higher idea of God.”

The official answered, “It is because you have only an idea of the greatness of God but you do not know his love.”

(The story is told by Fr. Simplicio Apalisok, Jr.)