by Fr. Ed Liptak, SDB
The Old Testament reading of Sunday’s Solemnity already proclaims that for God we human beings need something beyond ordinary daily bread. His people must never forget their need for him. For forty years of wandering, He had tested their obedience to see if they intended to fulfill his every word. They must never forget the signs of his care, the bread from heaven and water from the rock. “Not by bread alone does one live. but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”
St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians refers to the great leap of faith we Christians have made in accepting ‘every word’ that God has spoken through Jesus Christ his beloved Son: “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?” Ordinary bread by God’s word has become the body of Jesus offered in Sacrifice. Simple wine has become Christ’s blood shed in his total oblation of self—true because God said so.
What Paul wrote was determined by what Jesus said. St. John’s Gospel quotes him: “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.” These words were tough for the Jewish elite to swallow. ‘How can this ordinary man say something so extraordinary?’ It is easy to think that Jesus was just using a figure of speech to say he required their belief in him. Even some Catholics fail to take Jesus literally.
But Jesus did not waver. Twice in similar words he insisted that his hearers must ‘eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood’ if they wanted ‘life’ within themselves. The ‘life’ he meant was not ordinary life. It was salvation. “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.” Indeed, He is true food; He is true drink—because He said so.
No true Catholic who desires to be saved can deny the real presence of Jesus Christ, flesh and blood, soul and divinity, in the Holy Communion he or she receives. The Eucharist is Jesus’ pledge of Salvation. It is the priceless gift of God.