19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the Gospel we are not told where Jesus was teaching, even if it was not on a mountain, what he said was very lofty and six times He referred to Himself not just as “bread” but “bread come down from heaven - living bread - bread which gives life forever.”His words were puzzling, disturbing and his audience had difficulties in understanding and accepting His word. 

So Jesus, the patient teacher, taught them how this would be: “ No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draw him.” It is the Father’s grace, loving intervention that one is able to accept Jesus’ word; it is the power of the Father’s love that empowers one to surrender in faith to Jesus. Without this it is impossible to believe, to accept, to treasure Jesus’ teaching: “...the bread that I will give is My flesh for the life of the world.” 

Some walked away in anger, in disappointment, probably scandalized; others remained confused but still trying to trust the One they had come to know and revere as Master. 

It will be some time later at the Last Supper that Jesus will clearly show what He taught about “the living bread. Holding bread, He said, “This is My Body and taking the cup into His hands said, “This is the cup of My Blood” and gave Himself to those who had remained with Him. Their eyes were opened and they knew. They had tasted and seen how good the Lord is. 
This thought came to me: in the time after His Resurrection and before His Ascension, did Jesus celebrate the Holy Eucharist with His mother, the disciples, other followers like Mary Magdalen? The Gospels are silent but we do know that after His Ascension the disciples and others gathered for “the breaking of the bread” - the living bread. 

As they gathered, so do we to break the living Bread, to receive the Lord Jesus as they did and as the Father drew them so He draws us - each one, individually, called by name. Our Father by the Holy Spirit lifts us up into belief that is desire - this is not some pious thought - this is reality here and now. We experience a most sacred moment as we are identified by our God as His sons and daughters, His beloved, those He desires to feed with the Living Bread of the Lord Jesus Christ and does! 

Who is God for you, for me? Who is the God you or I think of, pray to? Is this God the One who comes to us in our unique, personal humanity - the Lord who obviously desires to be “the Living Bread” for you, me, for all? In receiving the Lord you hear “The Body of Christ” and contained, hidden in this proclamation is “You are My son, My daughter, My beloved. I desire to give Myself to you.” 

In our reception of the Holy Eucharist the Lord is preparing us for the fullness of Eternal LIfe and also giving us the grace, the desire to translate the One we receive into what St. Paul teaches - be kind to one another, be compassionate, forgive one another as God has forgiven you. In a word, “Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love.” This is who we are, whom we desire to be, most importantly whom our God desires us to be. A very lofty life, no doubt about that. By God’s grace may we treasure and live it steadfastly, gratefully.