19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

1 Kings 19:4-8

Psalms 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

Ephesians 4:30-5:2

John 6:41-51

“The angel of the Lord … touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too long for you.'” He got up, ate and drank, and, strengthened by the food, walked forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.”

The texts of Sacred Scripture chosen for the first reading on Sunday are chosen for their relevance to the theme of the Gospel. To get an indication of what will be highlighted on a particular Sunday, it is helpful to first read the Gospel text, then the first reading, and then look at the Gospel again to see what stands out.

This weekend we cannot misunderstand what is being emphasized. In addition to the clue provided by the account of Elijah’s wilderness feeding in 1 Kings, Jesus speaks solemnly with his emphatic “Amen, Amen.”

“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate manna in the desert and died. This is the bread that came down from heaven, so that people might eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

Faith, eternal life and the living bread are the themes that will be at the centre. The Eucharistic Discourse, which will continue for a few more weeks, will take us to the heart of the mystery of the gift of self that Jesus offers us. When we receive him as the Bread of Life, the life of God is truly planted as a seed in us.

What has been said so far has pointed to this reality. Now we are invited to acknowledge the offer. If we believe, we taste the goodness of the Lord and life comes into us. “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” We have eternal life if we respond to the gift. We receive it as food and eat this bread which is the flesh of Jesus sacrificed for the life of the world. Heaven comes into us. We eat this bread and we already know that we will live forever. The one who promises it is worthy of our trust.

Many who receive the Eucharist say how much they have learned to rely on it to sustain them in the face of the challenges of this life. Parishioners who are sick and homebound appreciate that the Eucharist allows them to participate in the life of the parish. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who go to hospitals, nursing homes, and homes where the sick are housed experience a joy that gives them strength in the faithful responses of those who seek their services. This life and eternal life are not so far apart. Through the Eucharist, Jesus, who by his resurrection and glorification overcame every human weakness, touches us with his own life.

There are many reasons why people stop going to church. It is always suggested that more people would attend if the Church, its pastors and its people changed their habits. This may be true. If we who receive the Eucharist allowed the Lord to change our hearts to be more like His, those who now stay away would feel more invited and welcomed. Yet Jesus himself offers the challenge and invitation to all: “Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. … I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

How do we share our faith in the Eucharist? The letter to the Ephesians gives clear instructions: “Put away from you all bitterness, anger, wrath, clamor, slander, and all malice. But be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as in Christ God has forgiven you. Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children, walking in love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a sacrifice offered to God as a sweet-smelling aroma.”