As repetition is needed for sports, music and more, so is our Mass and Jesus' Body and Blood!: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

4^thweek of John 6

At this point, people were now quarreling

·     The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,
"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 

·     A flag right away, is to know that this is a literal reading

o  Without the Scriptures we have several different types to read the Scriptures which include history, poetry, parables with images beyond reality, fiction, apocalyptic, metaphors

·     This was indeed literal

·     The people were literally thinking that Jesus’ Body and Blood was cannibalism!

Throughout the Gospels, especially John, Jesus offered several images

·     “I am the gate”

·     “I am the shepherd”

·     “I am the way, the truth and the life”

o  These are indeed metaphors that were also true, though was Jesus really a physical door? Was he really a shepherd?

·     In John 6, he pressed forward, literally saying that he was going to offer his Body and Blood

Now, let’s not think that Jesus is like a zombie or a vampire that is allowing people to eat his body or blood as a human 

·     No…he was teaching what would happen after his death and resurrection

·     “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 bloodhas eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day.” 

There is in another place to show his disciples how he showed His Body and Blood

·     Luke 24:28-31: “So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.”  So he went in to stay with them.  When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them.   And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight.”

·     These two disciples saw Jesus

·     Was his glorified body vanished?  Well, no, he was still there as His body!

This is a paradox

·     When we receive Jesus Body and Blood, the accidents—the bread and wine—are still there—it looks, feels, and tastes it as bread and wine

·     But in the substance itself is changed—thus transubstantiation—the presence of Jesus’ Christ

No science can test this, no other god, guru or prophet offered this, but this question concludes with two simple results: faith and God

And our God: our Father, Son and Holy Spirit offer us love, nourishment and strength in our journey