For some weeks now, we have been following Saint John’s Gospel on the ‘Bread of Life’
All the narratives about God feeding His people both in the Old Testament and the New seem to have been leading up to this point. Throughout the whole of this discourse, questions have been put, and difficulties and misunderstandings voiced — to some of which we ourselves are not strangers. At certain moments, we even have the impression that sometimes the narrative has been written so as to give time for these various questions to resound long enough to eventually raise an echo in us. Up to this point, the disciples have been strangely absent from the discussions that Jesus’ statements cause, but now they break upon the scene.
Many among the disciples who had heard Jesus say: ‘Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood,’ cry out: ‘This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?’ They are disciples — John notes — followers that have been accompanying Jesus for quite some time already. But their sympathy had been mixed with a certain reserve; they have been waiting before making their minds up in earnest. Now, their conviction has been brought to a stop: ‘There is nothing to hope for in this man. What’s the use of continuing to follow Him?’ Disappointed, they perhaps go back home. They have lost not their faith, but their illusions. Even though Jesus was sad to see them go, it was no surprise to Him: and he did not try to convince them to stay. His words were truth, and he was not about to water them down. He said what he meant and meant what he said. ‘For Jesus knew from the outset those who did not believe.’ He was also aware: ‘Who it was that would betray Him’ eventually.
It wasn’t great crowds that excited Jesus. What mattered to Him was the authenticity and sincerity of those who stayed. One of the most difficult of life situations, commonly experienced by a person, is when we realise finally; as is the case in today’s Gospel, that we can do nothing further to influence another person in a crucial choice they must make. As we have discussed in the past, here they must stand alone, discerning their free will and determining by whatever actions they choose, based on that essential human freedom, the way forward for them, when faced with life’s fundamental crossroads. They can and must be let free to go either way.
In today’s Gospel reading we see how well Christ understood and valued this right to a free choice. Because of His respect for human freedom, he made no attempt to force the people following Him to believe His doctrine. He could quite easily have explained the way in which they were to eat His flesh and drink His blood, but He didn’t. They must be drawn to Him by the Father, they must come to faith first: So, rather, He allowed them the space to freely choose whether they would believe Him or not. John tells us here, in fact, ‘many of His disciples left Him and stopped going with Him.’ Our Lord responded, not by calling them back, but by turning and reminding even the closest to Him [the Apostle] that they were also free and could indeed leave. So, He asks: ‘Will you also go away?’ To whatever extent Our Lord may have influenced the ‘Twelve Apostles’ up to this point, now was the time they had to clearly and decisively choose their future.
In a similar way, God openly relates the same to us. He fully respects our human freedom and integrity and does not force a commitment on us. Rather, He personally asks each one of us: ‘Will you also go away?’ We are totally free to do so, as many did in today’s text. But to what avail? We are also free to join Peter and declare: ‘Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life and we believe; we know you are the Holy One of God.’
The choice, the freedom, the responsibility is ours. In the same manner that Christ made no attempt to force even those closest to Him to stay with Him, so in loving regard for our freedom, He will leave us truly free. Christs’ question: ‘Will you also go away?’ then, is directed to us too in our many walks of life and life situations, in our happiness and in our sadness, in our homes and in our workplaces. — we too, are genuinely free to respond either way. To believe is to commit one’s whole life to the faith — we must trust ourselves unreservedly to His person and word.
To His disciples he asks: ‘Does what I say Shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?’ The sentence remains unfinished, but for us today, its meaning is perfectly clear. He had often repeated that ‘He had come down from heaven’: that, some people were loathed to believe — but to see Him ascending to where He was before — will that not convince them? Let them have patience then — let them have faith — let them witness the Paschal mystery for themselves — let them then listen to the Lord’s words: ‘You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’ But before His ascension Jesus must first complete his mission: On the cross, Jesus will be lifted up in order to return to His Father, and reconcile man to God: to believe in Christ and His promises is indeed to echo the words of the centurion on Calvary whilst looking upon Christ crucified: ‘Truly, this man was the Son of God’ (Mk 15:39).
Today, for us, the place for this profession of paschal faith is no longer Calvary, but the liturgical assembly, at the moment when commemorating the death and resurrection of the Lord, at Mass. Here Christians ‘Share the bread of eternal life and the cup of salvation, the body and blood of Christ,’ as promised. ‘It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life,’ says Jesus. He of course talks of our flesh which without the Spirit will return to the dust from whence it came. Now it’s time to decide! For today, we know — Jesus gives Himself as food under the sign — the sacrament— of bread and wine made holy and transformed by the Holy Spirit thus becoming for us: ‘The body and blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ,’ The Son of Man — who ascended to the Father through His Pasch and resurrection.
‘It is therefore,’ says Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (315-86): ‘With absolute assurance that we participate in a certain way in the body and blood of Christ. For under the form of bread, the body is given to you, and under the form of wine, the blood is given to you, so that you may become one single body and one single blood with Christ…. In this manner according to the Apostle Peter we, ‘Come to share in the divine nature’.’
What a wonderful privilege that is. Saint Cyril continues:
‘Therefore, do not regard bread and wine as natural elements because they are; as the Master declared — His body and blood. Our senses suggest the former; may your faith reassure you. In this domain, do not judge by taste but by faith; be fully assured, you have been judged worthy of the body and blood of Christ.
You have received the teaching and you are absolutely certain: what appears to be bread is not bread, although it tastes like bread, but the Body of Christ; what appears to be wine is not wine, although it tastes like wine, but the Blood of Christ…… Therefore, strengthen your hearts, taking this bread as a spiritual bread, and gladden the face of your soul. And you, your face uncovered in a pure conscience, reflect as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, and advance from glory to glory in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom may glory be for ever and ever. Amen.’
From the beginning of the Church, the account of the multiplication of the loaves and the long discourse that follows it, have been read with a Eucharistic perspective. Moreover, as the discourse progresses, it speaks more and more explicitly of the Eucharist. But in the framework of the Sunday celebration, Jesus’ words together with His hearers’ objections, take on a particularly striking character. All participants in the Eucharistic celebration should feel personally and directly challenged. It is impossible to listen to the discourse coldly. All are led to become lucidly aware of the thoughts in their hearts — to ask themselves, not so much, what they know about the Eucharist, but what sense it has in their daily lives — in their future eternal life? Finally, they are led to question themselves on their faith in Jesus Christ risen, the ‘living bread’ — who has given His flesh for the salvation of the world ‘— for all human beings. ‘Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity’ — this my friends is what Jesus offers to us at Mass — and to His hearers in today’s Gospel — How prepared are we to accept Him?
‘What about you, do you want to go away too… Lord who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life.’
Amen.
