Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

“Offering of Elijah”
by Marc Chagall,1931-39

Readings for Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time  [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 1 Kings 18:20-39
 
Ahab sent to all the children of Israel
and had the prophets assemble on Mount Carmel.
 
Elijah appealed to all the people and said,
“How long will you straddle the issue?
If the LORD is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.”
The people, however, did not answer him.
So Elijah said to the people,
“I am the only surviving prophet of the LORD,
and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal.
Give us two young bulls.
Let them choose one, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood,
but start no fire.
I shall prepare the other and place it on the wood,
but shall start no fire.
You shall call on your gods, and I will call on the LORD.
The God who answers with fire is God.”
All the people answered, “Agreed!”
 
Elijah then said to the prophets of Baal,
“Choose one young bull and prepare it first,
for there are more of you.
Call upon your gods, but do not start the fire.”
Taking the young bull that was turned over to them, they prepared it
and called on Baal from morning to noon, saying,
“Answer us, Baal!”
But there was no sound, and no one answering.
And they hopped around the altar they had prepared.
When it was noon, Elijah taunted them:
“Call louder, for he is a god and may be meditating,
or may have retired, or may be on a journey.
Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.”
They called out louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears,
as was their custom, until blood gushed over them.
Noon passed and they remained in a prophetic state
until the time for offering sacrifice.
But there was not a sound;
no one answered, and no one was listening.
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.”
When the people had done so, he repaired the altar of the LORD
that had been destroyed.
He took twelve stones, for the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob,
to whom the LORD had said, “Your name shall be Israel.”
He built an altar in honor of the LORD with the stones,
and made a trench around the altar
large enough for two measures of grain.
When he had arranged the wood,
he cut up the young bull and laid it on the wood.
“Fill four jars with water,” he said,
“and pour it over the burnt offering and over the wood.”
“Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.
“Do it a third time,” he said,
and they did it a third time.
The water flowed around the altar,
and the trench was filled with the water.
 
At the time for offering sacrifice,
the prophet Elijah came forward and said,
“LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,
let it be known this day that you are God in Israel
and that I am your servant
and have done all these things by your command.
Answer me, LORD!
Answer me, that this people may know that you, LORD, are God
and that you have brought them back to their senses.”
The LORD’s fire came down
and consumed the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dust,
and it lapped up the water in the trench.
Seeing this, all the people fell prostrate and said,
“The LORD is God! The LORD is God!”
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Commentary on 1 Kgs 18:20-39
 
This story from the “Elijah Cycle” of 1 Kings describes Elijah returning to Israel to confront the people who had fallen into Baal worship. He proposes a challenge between the false god and the Lord. The actions of the priests of Baal, the dancing, shouting, and cutting themselves as part of their prayer ritual are validated by other ancient Near-Eastern texts as being part of Baal worship.
 
There is some symbolic language used in describing the preparation of the altar by Elijah. Specifically, the use of the number three as the altar is drenched in water indicating it was completely drenched. The result of the test was predictable. God answers Elijah and the people come back to authentic worship of God.
 
CCC: 1 Kgs 18:20-39 2583; 1 Kgs 18:26-29 2766; 1 Kgs 18:38-39 696; 1 Kgs 18:39 2582
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 16:1b-2ab, 4, 5ab and 8, 11
 
R. (1b) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
 
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
 
They multiply their sorrows
who court other gods.
Blood libations to them I will not pour out,
nor will I take their names upon my lips.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
 
O LORD, my allotted portion and cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
 
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.
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Commentary on Ps 16:1b-2ab, 4, 5ab and 8, 11
 
Psalm 16 is an individual hymn of praise. The psalmist prays that God will shield the faithful from harm and expresses confidence in the Lord’s salvation, closing the passage with praise for God’s loving mercy. "It is apparent that in the earliest Christian community, the psalm was given a messianic interpretation with respect to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Both Peter, in his sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2:25–28), and Paul, in the synagogue at Antioch (Acts 13:35), reflect this interpretation of the psalm in their preaching." [4]
 
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Gospel: Matthew 5:17-19
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
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Commentary on Mt 5:17-19
 
Those who believed that Jesus came to destroy the Jewish faith and laws are refuted in this passage from St. Matthew’s Gospel. The Lord tells them that he did not come to destroy the law, even though he disagreed with the way some of those laws were being implemented. Rather he came to fulfill it, essentially giving the law a reinterpretation through his own divine revelation.
 
In this early encounter between Jesus’ mission and the Law of Moses, we are told that Jesus came to “fulfill” the law, to bring it to perfection as the Messiah. He supports the rabbinical teaching of the time, which separates the 613 individual precepts of the law found in the Pentateuch into “great and small,” based upon their seriousness, when he refers to breaking the least of the commandments. It is important to understand the Hebrew view of the law: "The law was thought to be the summary of all wisdom-human and divine, the revelation of God himself, a complete and a secure guide of conduct and endowed with a sacramental assurance of good relations with God." [5]
 
The passage is concluded in almost Mosaic style by saying that those who follow the law will be great in heaven. This draws a distinction between those who would break the law being least in heaven in the previous sentence.
 
CCC: Mt 5:17-19 577, 592, 1967; Mt 5:17 2053
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Reflection:
 
When we think about the role of Elijah, described in part in the reading from the First Book of Kings, we must see his actions as being prophetic of his counterpart in the time of Jesus, St. John the Baptist. Elijah calls the people to turn away from worshiping false gods and to return to the Lord. St. John comes, as the new Elijah, also calling the people to turn away from sin and return to the Lord.
 
The Lord tells us, in St. Matthew’s Gospel, that he has come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. In this way, St. John calls the people to accept the fulfilled the promise of the Lord in Christ. Jesus does indeed bring to completion the work started at the very beginning of creation. Throughout the Old Testament there have been stories and signs that look forward to a time of salvation, when all of the sins of the people will be washed away. King David, the psalmist, sings laments constantly, recalling God’s might, the wonders and signs he has performed, and begging for his continued help in times of need. In Christ this wish is granted. In Christ the promise is fulfilled. In him, God’s salvation is spread over all peoples of all nations.
 
Yet, just as the ancient Jews who had fallen into worship of Baal, people of our day cannot choose life in Christ. They cannot accept that the promise was fulfilled. They worship instead a golden calf of their worldly success. They build altars many stories high to greed and hedonism.
 
The Lord calls to us, through Sacred Scripture, to continue to challenge these misguided principles and to put forward, through our words and actions, the Good News of the promise fulfilled. We pray today for the courage and strength to do so.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Offering of Elijah” by Marc Chagall,1931-39.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible except for the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] Peter C. Craigie, Psalms 1–50, 2nd ed., Word Biblical Commentary vol. 19 (Nashville, TN: Nelson Reference & Electronic, 2004), 158.
[5] Jerome Biblical Commentary (Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968), 43:34, p. 70.

Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for Saint Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Ephrem
 
Biographical information about St. Ephrem

“The Light of the World” (detail)
by William Holman Hunt 1851–1853

 
Readings for Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: 1 Kings 17:7-16
 
The brook near where Elijah was hiding ran dry,
because no rain had fallen in the land.
So the Lord said to Elijah:
“Move on to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there.
I have designated a widow there to provide for you.”
He left and went to Zarephath.
As he arrived at the entrance of the city,
a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her,
“Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink.”
She left to get it, and he called out after her,
“Please bring along a bit of bread.”
She answered, “As the Lord, your God, lives,
I have nothing baked;
there is only a handful of flour in my jar
and a little oil in my jug.
Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks,
to go in and prepare something for myself and my son;
when we have eaten it, we shall die.”
Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid.
Go and do as you propose.
But first make me a little cake and bring it to me.
Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son.
For the Lord, the God of Israel, says,
‘The jar of flour shall not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
until the day when the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’”
She left and did as Elijah had said.
She was able to eat for a year, and Elijah and her son as well;
the jar of flour did not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
as the Lord had foretold through Elijah.
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Commentary on 1 Kgs 17:7-16
 
Earlier (in vv.1-7) Elijah, following Yahweh’s instruction challenges the priests of Baal, who in this instance claims to be the god of storms, fertility present in the dew and rain.  Elijah prophesied a drought saying, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word.” [4] The story of Elijah and the miracle of the widow and her son follows, establishing Elijah as a man from God, a prophet. He is able to demonstrate God’s plan: “For the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’” God provides for Elijah in his need once more.
 
CCC: 1 Kgs 17:7-24 2583
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 4:2-3, 4-5, 7b-8
 
R. (7a) Lord, let your face shine on us.
 
When I call, answer me, O my just God,
you who relieve me when I am in distress;
Have pity on me, and hear my prayer!
Men of rank, how long will you be dull of heart?
Why do you love what is vain and seek after falsehood?
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
 
Know that the Lord does wonders for his faithful one;
the Lord will hear me when I call upon him.
Tremble, and sin not;
reflect, upon your beds, in silence.
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
 
O Lord, let the light of your countenance shine upon us!
You put gladness into my heart,
more than when grain and wine abound.
R. Lord, let your face shine on us.
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Commentary on Ps 4:2-3, 4-5, 7b-8
 
Psalm 4 is an individual lament. In these strophes, we hear the trust the psalmist has in God whose saving works cause the faithful to tremble in awe of God’s mercy and whose protection brings the peace that sets hearts to rest and gives joy to life.
 
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Gospel: Matthew 5:13-16
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 5:13-16
 
In this selection from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus uses allegory to push the Word of God into the world. He tells his disciples they are an integral part of the faith of the people in God. As seasoning is to food, so the Word of God is to faith. They must remain steadfast so they do not lose zeal for God, which is the taste of that seasoning. It is that which sets it apart.
 
He uses a second allegory, light, to provide still more direction. The light of faith will be seen by all because it is reflected in the actions of those who believe. That light serves to guide others to God, when they may otherwise become lost in darkness, and wander into paths of desolation. That light that pours from the disciples will be seen as a gift, not from them, but from the Father, and the Father will be glorified because of the light.
 
“Salt and light each impart their own virtue, provided they remain fully what they are. Christians are the means whereby God wants to flavor life, to illuminate life. Do we not too often want to be receivers rather than the givers, and do we not in this way become insipid and dark? The disciple himself is responsible if the world around him remains crouching in lethargy, untransformed.” [5]
 
CCC: Mt 5:13-16 782, 2821; Mt 5:14 1243; Mt 5:16 326
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Reflection:
 
Since the earliest of times in human history God has called individuals to carry his message into the world. We see in the first reading from First Book of Kings how he guides Elijah, setting him on God’s chosen path. The miracle of the flour and oil only serve to emphasize that Elijah is a prophet sent by God.
 
In the Gospel the Lord expands the call to take God’s message into the world. He is speaking to his disciples telling them that they must be “the light of the world.” We, who offer ourselves as his modern-day disciples, hear that instruction and are called to respond to it. Christ’s use of the light metaphor gives us an opportunity to reflect on what it means to be light for the world.
 
If we think about light, specifically light coming from fire as opposed to an electric light, we can imagine a person walking into a very dark place leading others with just a lighted match to guide them. It does not put out very much light and the person must move very slowly and cautiously to avoid tripping or bumping into something. That very small light is like a person who rarely seeks to enhance their own faith though word or sacrament. A person holding a match cannot walk boldly in the world, there is not enough light, and progress is slow toward the ultimate goal. In addition, the flame of a match is vulnerable to the smallest breeze (challenges to the light) and can easily go out, plunging that person into darkness once more.
 
Let’s imagine next a person with a proper torch leading others in a dark place. The torch gives off a hundred times more light than the match and the whole group can move at a comfortable pace, safe from any hidden obstacles. No breeze or even a stronger wind can blow it out; in fact it would generally glow brighter.  This would be the person who cultivates their own faith and is able to lead others with confidence in their example and the strength of the Holy Spirit.
 
This latter example is what we all strive to be. However, there is a danger in our analogy as well.  If the torch is misused, it can set fire to things that should not burn and the very light we carry can cause others to flee in terror (errant use of dogma or perverted use of Scripture). The Lord calls us to be light for the world, not to destroy the world. Just as Jesus came to fulfill the Law, not to destroy it, we are called to build up the body of Christ, not to say: “Throw that part into the fire, it must burn.” That kind of judgment is for the Lord himself who will judge all people on the Last Day.
 
Pax

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[1] The Drawing used today is “The Light of the World” (detail) by William Holman Hunt 1851–1853.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] The Word Biblical Commentary, 1 Kings, Volume 12, (Thomas Nelson, Inc. © 2004), 216.
[5] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996), 207.

Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

“Elijah Fed by Ravens” by and unknown Dutch potter 1577-78

Readings for Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 1 Kings 17:1-6
 
Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab:
“As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve,
during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word.”
The Lord then said to Elijah:
“Leave here, go east
and hide in the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.
You shall drink of the stream,
and I have commanded ravens to feed you there.”
So he left and did as the Lord had commanded.
He went and remained by the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.
Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning,
and bread and meat in the evening,
and he drank from the stream.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Kgs 17:1-6
 
This passage begins the section from 1 Kings called “Stories of the Prophets.” “Elijah the Tishbite: one of the most important figures in Old Testament history. As his name indicates ("Yahweh is my God"), Elijah was the successful leader in the struggle to preserve the knowledge and worship of Yahweh against the encroaching worship of Baal introduced into Israel by Jezebel, the Tyrian wife of Ahab.“ [4]
 
“Ahab with his Phoenician in-laws may believe all their myths about Baal and may participate with fervor in his rites, but he is no living God in the sense that Yahweh is. Can he truly guarantee fertility? Can he give life the way Yahweh does? As Yahweh’s minister, Elijah delivers a challenge, actually framed as a threat, to the effect that Yahweh, and he alone, can withhold the water on which all growing things depend, and will bring it back again only when he tells his prophet to say so.” [5]
 
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 121:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
 
R. (see 2) Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
 
I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
 
May he not suffer your foot to slip;
may he slumber not who guards you:
Indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,
the guardian of Israel.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
 
The Lord is your guardian; the Lord is your shade;
he is beside you at your right hand.
The sun shall not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
 
The Lord will guard you from all evil;
he will guard your life.
The Lord will guard your coming and your going,
both now and forever.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
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Commentary on Ps 121:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
 
Psalm 121 is a hymn of blessing given prior to a long and difficult journey. These strophes explain that God is faithful, and will protect the traveler from harm – God is always with us (“he is beside you at your right hand. The sun shall not harm you by day, nor the moon by night”). The imagery in the opening strophes reminds us of Moses in Exodus 17:8-13 as he stood upon a high place so that the Israelites could see that God was with them. In this song of blessing we are reminded of God’s continuing guidance and the salvation he provides us through his Son.
 
CCC: Ps 121:2 1605
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Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12
 
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
 
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
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Commentary on Mt 5:1-12
 
This section of the Sermon on the Mount begins the first of five great discourses in St. Matthew’s Gospel. He begins using a formula common in the wisdom literature of the Old Testament with “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”(Job 5:17; Proverbs 3:13; Sirach 25:8-9) This designation identifies those without material resources, completely dependent upon God. (This distinction is for the devout poor.) The discourse continues, blessing those who mourn, who are meek, who “hunger” for righteousness (to adopt the Lord’s law of love in their hearts), the merciful, the clean of heart (those who are reconciled to God), the peacemakers, the persecuted, and finally those who will be reviled because they profess faith in Christ.
 
The litany of praises for those to be blessed by the Lord has an overarching theme. It holds up the spiritual strength of complete dependence on God for life, health, and prosperity. St. Matthew captures the strength in that dependence, and God’s promise of salvation through the words of the Savior.
 
It is noteworthy that the word “Blessed” [μακάριοι (makάrios) in Greek and Beati in Latin] is translated “Happy” in many Old Testament texts.  The idea of happiness or peace as a blessing from God is an important understanding about the intent of this discourse.
 
CCC: Mt 5:1 581; Mt 5:3-12 1716; Mt 5:3 544, 2546; Mt 5-7 2763; Mt 5-6 764; Mt 5:8 1720, 2518; Mt 5:9 2305, 2330; Mt 5:11-12 520
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Reflection:

“Those who practice the Beatitudes are imitators of God, of the divine nature. The Beatitudes are no longer now negative commandments that forbid sin, as the first Decalogue largely was, in keeping with its nature as the minimum necessary to obey God. The Beatitudes are the carta magna, as it were, that invites poor mortals to be like God here and now in this world, to live on the other side of sin, to incarnate the divine holiness, to become children of God in truth, begotten by the Word of Truth who, sitting on this mountain, is now dispensing life through his words.” [6]

 

The final reference in the Beatitudes from St. Matthew (“Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you”) is exemplified by the situation unfolding in 1 Kings for the prophet Elijah. Elijah is told by God to flee to the “Wadi Cherith” to avoid being killed by the worshipers of Baal. God protects the great prophet by keeping him safe and fed during his sojourn. The Lord blesses Elijah for his faithful witness in the face of persecution.
 
Jesus’ litany of blessings is so necessary. He extols Christian virtue, which flies in the face of the wisdom of the world. He holds up those who are powerless as beloved of God. He expresses his abiding love for those who seek the face of God, and encourages those who face the most difficult path. Faith in Christ is not an easy path, and Jesus’ support in this passage assures us of his unfailing faithfulness.
 
This great discourse provides hope and consolation for all of us. And, each of us goes through different times in our life of faith that bring us from being the “poor in spirit,” to being “peacemakers,” to being “persecuted.” In each stage the Lord extends his blessings. And how do we experience his love? We find it in the sacraments, where it is extended through his visible presence in the world, the Church. We also find his reassurance in prayer, hearing his voice of consolation, reminding us we are not alone in our struggles, that he is with us.
 
Today we hear once more the words of comfort and challenge in the Beatitudes. We are called once more to rededicate ourselves to the principles of Christian virtue and accept the blessings of our loving Father.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is of a plaque “Elijah Fed by Ravens” by and unknown Dutch potter 1577-78.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] NAB footnote on 1 Kings 17:1.
[5] Simon J. DeVries, 1 Kings, 2nd ed., Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 12 (Dallas: Word, Inc, 2003), 218.
[6] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996),184.

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Catechism Links [1]
CCC 790, 1003, 1322-1419: the Holy Eucharist

CCC 805, 950, 2181-2182, 2637, 2845: the Eucharist and the communion of believers
CCC 1212, 1275, 1436, 2837: the Eucharist as spiritual food
 
In other regions: Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
 
Additional Information about the Solemnity of Corpus Christi

“The Institution of the Eucharist”
by Nicolas Poussin,1640

Readings for Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a
 
Moses said to the people:
"Remember how for forty years now the Lord, your God,
has directed all your journeying in the desert,
so as to test you by affliction
and find out whether or not it was your intention
to keep his commandments.
He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger,
and then fed you with manna,
a food unknown to you and your fathers,
in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live,
but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord.
"Do not forget the Lord, your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
that place of slavery;
who guided you through the vast and terrible desert
with its saraph serpents and scorpions,
its parched and waterless ground;
who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock
and fed you in the desert with manna,
a food unknown to your fathers."
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Commentary on Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a
 
This reading is taken from the second address of Moses to the Hebrews. This section of the address can be called “an appeal to remembrance” since Moses is recounting all that God had done for them since they were led out of Egypt. The focus of these verses is on the feeding of the people with manna (see Exodus 16; 4-16). Jesus also quoted this passage “not by bread alone does one live” (see Matthew 4:4). Beyond manna, Moses also recalls the saraph staff (see Numbers 21; 5-9), and water drawn from the rock at Horeb (see Exodus 17; 2-6).
 
CCC: Dt 8:3 1334, 2835
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
 
R. (12) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
 
Psalm 147 is a hymn of praise. In these strophes, the singer celebrates God’s gifts to his people: the gift of faith to the patriarch Jacob, and the gift of his presence in the Holy City Jerusalem. These strophes are from the third section (each section offering praise for a different gift from God to his special people). This section focuses on the gift of the Promised Land with Jerusalem as its spiritual center. We see the call to praise Jerusalem, the Holy City, because in it was revealed the Word of God, and a call to holiness. The Lord is praised for sending food that sustains the people. The final strophe also rejoices that the law was handed on to them through Jacob.
 
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Reading II: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
 
Brothers and sisters:
The cup of blessing that we bless,
is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?
The bread that we break,
is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
Because the loaf of bread is one,
we, though many, are one body,
for we all partake of the one loaf.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 10:16-17
 
Although this is part of a comparison being brought between Christ’s sacrifice and idolatry, what is given here expresses the unity forged through the Eucharist, the only true sacrifice. The Blood of Christ and the Body of Christ shared in communion unites us spiritually and physically and we become that living Body of Christ on earth, the Church, through Jesus.
 
“The principal effect of the Blessed Eucharist is intimate union with Jesus. The very name "communion’--taken from this passage of St Paul (cf. "St Pius V Catechism’, II, 4, 4)--points to becoming one with our Lord by receiving his body and blood. ‘What in fact is the bread? The body of Christ. What do they become who receive Communion? The body of Christ’ (Chrysostom, ‘Hom. on 1 Cor, 24, ad loc.’).” [5]
 
CCC: 1 Cor 10:16-17 1329, 1331, 1396; 1 Cor 10:16 1334; 1 Cor 10:17 1621
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Gospel: John 6:51-58
 
Jesus said to the Jewish crowds:
"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."
 
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,
"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
Jesus said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day.
For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
remains in me and I in him.
Just as the living Father sent me
and I have life because of the Father,
so also the one who feeds on me
will have life because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven.
Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,
whoever eats this bread will live forever."
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Commentary on Jn 6:51-58
 
The “Bread of Life” discourse continues, and the Lord escalates his language. The people who had come to him because they had been fed with the five barley loaves just cannot make the leap from bread made from wheat or barley to the Bread of Life offered as true food and drink for the spirit. Even when he uses manna as an example of real food, they still do not see that the Son of God offers them his resurrected body as their meal and they are repulsed – especially because of the language he uses (Jesus uses the word gnaw, not just eat, in the original texts.).
 
CCC: Jn 6 1338; Jn 6:51 728, 1355, 1406, 2837; Jn 6:53-56 2837; Jn 6:53 1384; Jn 6:54 994, 1001, 1406, 1509, 1524; Jn 6:56 787, 1391, 1406; Jn 6:57 1391; Jn 6:58 1509
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Reflection:
 

Jesus' gift of himself in the Eucharist was announced most clearly and straightforwardly in St. John’s Gospel.  But Matthew, Mark, and Luke forewarn us of this mystery with the feeding of the multitudes and Luke, specifically as the resurrected Jesus dines with the disciples on the road to Emmaus.  Christ feeds us with has spiritual gifts and expresses his own love for us in doing so.

 

“1323 At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet ‘in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.[6]”

 

This definition from the Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the “why” of our celebration of the Eucharist.  St. John’s Gospel describes what that meal truly was.  Rather than trying to express this in our own words we once again rely on the Catechism to do that;

 

1374 The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as "the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend."²⁰¹ In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained."²⁰² "This presence is called 'real' - by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be 'real' too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present. ²⁰³"[7]

 

These doctrinally supported statements of our faith and belief in the divinity of the “corpus Christi,” the Body and Blood of Christ are the teaching of Holy Mother Church a principal tenet of our faith. Yet of all that the magisterium teaches, our belief in the “real presence” in the Eucharist is not held by a majority of our brother and sister Christians in other denominations. Even in the face of St. John’s Gospel’s when Jesus says:

 

"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."
 
And follows that statement with:

"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,

you do not have life within you.

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day.
For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink.”

 

How can anyone mistake those words for metaphor or symbolism?

 

Perhaps sharing my own story of how I came finally to faith in these words, for I was raised in a Protestant family by wonderful parents who lived exemplary Christian lives.  My father was raised in the Lutheran faith, my mother in the Methodist tradition.  As a couple the practiced in the Presbyterian denomination.

 

It was not until 1970, when I married my wife that I converted to Catholicism even though I did not fully grasp what I was committing my life to at that time.  You see, I have a problem.  That problem is I took my college education in the field of biochemistry.  As a result, and without the early training in the tenets of the Catholic Church, I was taught almost exclusively by non-religious or openly atheistic faculty in the rigorous logic of how organic life came to be and operated at the most fundamental levels.

 

I had always struggled with the concept that Jesus was the Son of God, but my whole family had taught me from the day I could understand language that Jesus was indeed divine and while my logical mind still had doubts, I accepted the essence of God in man as fact (if not faith). But when speaking to Fr. Joe Emile, the priest who gave me brief instruction before bringing me into the church the morning I got married (it’s a long story and I will not get into it here), and we got to the part about the real presence, I was not only doubtful but inwardly skeptical.  You see we had communion in the Presbyterian church.  It was tiny glasses of concord grape juice and squares of white bread passed around in trays.  I would often go into the kitchen after communion and see if I could drink the juice not used during the service. And I know the leftover squares of bread were given to ladies in the church to use for making croutons or stuffing.  That communion wafers and wine could become the Body and Blood of Jesus sounded to the biochemist in me and something beyond the realm of possibility.

 

It was some years later that during the Easter celebration here at St. Thomas the Gospel from John 20:24ff was proclaimed when our patron saint Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus came into the locked room.  It suddenly (and very belatedly) came to me that all this time I have not realized that there was something science could not understand about this.  It was not magic, it was metaphysical.  Jesus did not enter that room in the physical body he wore in life! He wore a glorified body transubstantiated at his resurrection.  I was this glorified body he wore in that locked room bearing the marks of his sacrifice.  It was this Body and Blood he gave as an everlasting promise to us.  This was the real presence my logic could not find because it required faith in something my logic could not understand.

 

So, my brothers and sisters in faith, this promise, made at the last supper, and carried out countless times on this altar is where we find our faith and where we are fed.  Let us find and remember the awe of St. Thomas who upon seeing the Lord confessed: “My Lord and my God.”

 

Amen

 

[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture used today is “The Institution of the Eucharist” by Nicolas Poussin,1640.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] The Navarre Bible, Letters of St. Paul (Four Courts Press, 2003), 243
[6] Catechism of the Catholic Church number 1323.
[7] Footnotes within the text of the Catechism of the Catholic Church refer to the following:
²⁰¹ St. Thomas Aquinas, STh III,73,3c.
²⁰² Council of Trent (1551): DS 1651.
²⁰³ Paul VI, MF 39.