August 18, 2024, John 6:51-58
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081824.cfm
Remembering Jesus for Real
Think about it. Jesus took a piece of bread and a cup of wine at the Last Supper and said, “This is My Body given up for you. This is My Blood poured out for you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.”
The word “remains” jumped out at me and hit me in the nose. He remains with us after we receive Him in Holy Communion. He remains with us when we leave the church, get in the car, and go to dinner or home. He remains with us so we can become what we eat, the Bread of Life for everyone we meet.
Jesus did this throughout His ministry.
To the leper whose body was falling apart, Jesus knew the only bread that mattered to him was the bread of physical healing. To the lonely woman at Jacob’s well who had five husbands and was living with a man who was not her husband, Jesus offered her the bread of human kindness and satisfied her hunger for acceptance. He knew she went to the well at noon alone because her town disowned her.
Every time we go to Holy Communion, we receive this Living Bread that visits the sick, cares for an ill spouse, sends get-well cards, cooks meals, and cleans the house for anyone who cannot manage independently because of illness. You are the Living Bread for them.
I want to share a true story Patrice Tuohy shared.
My husband went to get the car while the nurse went over a few last-minute details about how to care for our newborn daughter, who had a serious heart defect and a diagnosis of Down syndrome. The nurse outlined the telltale signs of distress that would indicate a trip back to the hospital; she advised me on the best diapers and formula (“whatever’s on sale”). She reminded me how to swaddle the baby and how to use the suction syringe to clean her nose. She gently lifted my daughter out of the hospital crib and tucked her safely into her car seat. Then she walked me to the door and waited with me for my husband to pull up.
She must have read the nervousness in my eyes and sensed the anguish my husband and I had gone through during the past months, withstanding the pressure from doctors to terminate the pregnancy. Suddenly she said matter-of-factly, “Good for you. And don’t let anyone tell you shouldn’t have another baby. You’re strong and beautiful and your daughter is going to be fine.”
Jesus tells us that the one who feeds on him will have life. That nurse undoubtedly had life, and she shared it with me that day. (Prepare the Word, August 18, 2024)
Gospel Challenge:
We believe in the Real Presence of Jesus. All the Divine and Human properties that make him fully human and divine are present after the consecration at Mass. He says through the priest, THIS IS MY BODY…THIS IS MY BLOOD. As the early Fathers of the Church said, “We become what we eat, the Body of Christ, for a hungry world. Who will Jesus satisfy today through you?
Fr. Rick Pilger, IC
www.bscchurch.com
