1 Kings 19, 4-8; Psalm 34; Ephesians 4, 30- 5, 2; John 6, 41-51
By +Guy Sansaricq
In the midst of his preaching Jesus is suddenly interrupted by vociferous opponents screaming with words like these: “We know this man! We know his family! How can he pretend to have come down from heaven?” People always tend to raise flimsy reasons to reject Jesus’ claim to divinity.
Let us be inspired by Jesus’ response: “Your protest comes from a refusal to surrender to the Father’s inner prompting within you.” Yet, “those who believe, Jesus said, will not die.”
Jesus then states again emphatically that he is from God and that he has seen the Father unlike no one else. Faith he proclaims is key to understanding his teachings.
In the rest of his speech, Jesus essentially says: I am the bread of life! I am the living bread from heaven. He who eats me shall never die! “The bread I give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
At this point, no lengthy explanation is needed! Simply ponder in your heart the sublime mystery of the Eucharist! Jesus is more than the spoken word; He calls us to partner with his own flesh and blood; He wants us to be one with Him! May we joyfully embrace this lofty vocation! Your heart is his dwelling place. Begin to think of Christ as not outside of you but as within you!