Friar’s Corner: Jesus is our daily Bread of Life

Acts 2:14, 22-23; Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11; 1 Peter 1:17-21; Luke 24:13-35

This past Tuesday, I was at a Conference of Bishops’ representatives to diocesan prayer groups in the US and Canada. I have been to several throughout the years. This one was ground-breaking for me and electrifying. Jim Beckman presented information about different generations. A generation is usually considered the cultural effects of people in 40-year span. The insights of several sociologists who looked at the last three or four generations were presented. For clergy, teachers, evangelists and ambassadors for Jesus Christ, this is critical information. How can we reach people in these different generations?

Although the Sunday Mass is the same, the way we reach people is different in light of the different generations. The congregation on Sunday often embraces people from “cradle to grave.” The presentation must be different to have any impact. Most people know very little about our faith. Priests need to ask, “What is most important to share with this congregation?

Catholics are the largest Christian denomination. Baptists are the third largest. But the second-largest are those Catholics in the US who were baptized, usually after birth, who have left the church, mostly by their twenties. Seventy percent of Catholics do not understand or believe in the real presence of Jesus in the consecrated host at Mass. How can we remedy that?

St. Luke’s gospel this Sunday tells us that two disciples, Cleopas and an unnamed disciple, had left Jerusalem even though the women had told them that Jesus’ body was not in the tomb and that they had seen him in his new presence. These two disciples were walking along to Emmaus and a stranger began to walk with them as they were talking about those things that had happened to Jesus. This stranger they did not recognize began to explain why Jesus had to go through those things. Briefly, it was toward evening and they stopped at an inn for dinner and rest. When did they recognize him it was Jesus? At the meal when he took the bread, blessed and broke the bread. They had been at the Last Supper. Their eyes were opened yet Jesus instantly vanished. They ran back to the Upper Room to tell the others. This story is critical. Pray and think about it.

John 6

The other critical thing to pray and think about is, what does the New Testament tell us about eating the Eucharistic Bread? This translation is from the New American Bible, 1970. St. John said in chapter six:

1) 6:26:b-27: “You are looking for me because you have eaten your fill of the loaves. 27: You should be working for food that remains to eternal life, food which the Son of Man will give you.”

2) 6:32-33: 32: “Jesus said to them: ‘I solemnly assure you, It was not Moses who gave you bread from the heaven; It was my Father who gives you the real heavenly bread.’”

33: ”God’s bread comes down from heaven And gives life to the world.”

34: “Sir, give us this bread always,” they besought him.

3) 6:35: Jesus explained to them: “I myself am the Bread of Life. No one who comes to me shall ever be hungry; No one who believes in me shall ever thirst. (See also Isaiah 55:1ff)

4) 6:41: At this the Jews started to murmur in protest because he claimed, “I am the Bread that came down from heaven.”

6:47-48: “Let me firmly assure you, he (the one) who believes has eternal life.” In John 3:15-16 “…that all who believe may have eternal life. ‘Yes, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him may not die but may have eternal life.’” (See also: 1 John 4:9 and John 17:3)

6:48: “I am the Bread of Life.

5) 6:51: “I myself am the Living Bread, Come down from heaven. (V) If anyone eats this Bread, he or she shall live forever; the Bread I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.” 6:53: “Thereupon Jesus said to them: “Let me solemnly assure you, if you do not eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you have no life in you.”

6:55: “For my Flesh is real food, And my Blood real drink. The man (person) who feeds on my Flesh, and drinks my Blood remains in me, and I in him (in that person).”

This teaching caused much misunderstanding as to how Jesus was going to have people eat his body and drink his blood. With this teaching and practice in almost 2,000 years, it is our belief in the real presence of Jesus in the consecrated hosts and wine. This is what happens each time Mass is celebrated. For other Last Supper stories see Mt 26:17-29; Mk 14:12-25; Lk 22:7-20.

The Eucharist

St. Paul further explains in 1 Corinthians 11:23-25, “I received from the Lord what I handed on to you, namely, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread, and after he had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is my Body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ ” In the same way after the supper the third of four cups he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my Blood.’ Do this whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

The Word Eucharist is from a Greek verb meaning to give thanks. In Catholic theology, it means the sacrament directly instituted by Christ at the Last Supper. There Jesus gave thanks to his heavenly Father and changed bread and wine into his own Body and Blood as spiritual nourishment for his followers.

From the earliest days as the Holy Spirit enlightened the community, “They devoted themselves to: 1) the apostles’ instruction and 2) the communal life, to 3) Breaking of Bread and 4) the prayers,” Acts 2:42. At Mass we make present, the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ in an un-bloody way for our spiritual nourishment. It is at once a mystery, a sacrament, a sacrifice, a memorial and a meal. In reaction to the Protestant Reformers from Luther on, the Council of Trent in 1551-2 A.D. clearly defined what the Church had believed since its earliest days. The priest in the person of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, intending to do what Jesus did at the Last Supper, takes bread and wine and using approved words close to those of Jesus at the Last Supper, substantially changes bread and wine into the real presence of Jesus Christ, into his Body, Blood, soul and divinity.

Dear friends, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten our understanding of St. John 6. Pray about and read it over and over. At daily Mass in the next two weeks, we shall be reading various parts of this gospel. The more we understand this, the more God pierces our hearts to want to come and receive our “daily bread” come down from heaven. This is God’s greatest power source for us and our greatest meal on earth. Tell your family, friends and others and invite them to go to daily Mass when our churches re-open. Have a safe and blessed week and share this “Good News” with everyone you can. Send positive tweets. Let us “Lift Jesus higher in every way we can,” to get this good news out to others. Amen. Send positive, good news, tweets, Ephesians 4:29: “… Say only what is useful for edification, so that your words may benefit your listeners.” Lift Jesus higher and he will draw others to himself and more abundantly bless us.

Have a safe and blessed week closer to Jesus,

• Ambassador Bob Hilz
  fbhilz@gmail.com

(© 2020 Father Bob Hilz, TOR)