19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Aug. 9, 2015

Written by Fr. Fitz Thursday, 06 August 2015 11:29

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I am the living bread that has come down from heaven...

In tody's Gospel,  John continues his long declaration about Jesus being the new Manna and much more.

Keep in mind that John's Gospel the most recent is being written when the Christian community is separating itself from the synagogue. John is thus presenting Jesus as someone new and different

He is the NEW Manna, "not as your ancestors ate..."

He is the new bread...and he has "seen the Father"...a startling message for pious Jews.

For us today, it is a stattling message as well.

The Eucharist is startling when we pause to think about it.

In ordinary food consumption:

We BECOME what we eat.

And we eat what we become.

Is it so in the Eucharist? It is meant to be.

And yet, in today's second reading, Paul chides the first Christian communities who had a fresh experience of Eucharist:

"All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting and reviling must be removed  from you."

Bitterness?

The Eucharist is not to have a bitter taste!

Are we becoming what we eat or something else?

Often in families, there are bitter misunderstandings, recriminations, hardened hearts, and yet we march up and recieve the food of angels but maintain the tongues of serpents!

Paul goes on to suggest how we are to BECOME WHAT WE EAT:

"BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER,COMPASSIONATE,FORGIVING AS GOD HAS FORGIVEN YOU IN CHRIST..."

AND SO WE PRAY:

O God,

help us to grow into what we eat,

and to be nourishing food for others.

May the Eucharist never leave a bitter taste in our mouths.

Amen

* I AM GRATEFUL TO HAVE CELEBRATED MY 83RD BIRTHDAY ON AUG. 7.

THANKS TO MY MOM AND DAD FOR GIVING ME LIFE IN THE MIDST OF THE DIFFICULT YEAR OF DEPRESSION: 1932.