Today we come to the very clear part of Jesus’ long discourse that is linked to the Eucharist (John 6:51-58).
Throughout the discourse Jesus insists that He Himself is the bread that comes down from heaven and not God’s gift of the manna which is long gone.
“I am the living bread come down from heaven” (v. 51).
Jesus’ response to His opponents points to His broken body and spilled blood on the Cross. We see the bread on the altars as the broken body of Jesus. We see the cup as the poured out blood of Jesus.
Where was the body of Jesus pierced? Where did the blood of Jesus flow? On the Cross.
The EUCHARIST is the place were we meet the flesh of Jesus and the blood of Jesus in the miracle of every Mass. The Eucharist recaptures the Cross of Christ in a memory that makes present the unconditional gift of Jesus Himself in love that reflects the unconditional gift of the love that comes from the Father.
Jesus emphasizes the Eucharistic reality:
“For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink” (v. 55).
The biblical word “true” does not simply mean “it’s real” or “it’s solid”, but asserts it is actually and really authentic. For example, there are many breads and there are many drinks serving as essential parts of our lives, but according to Jesus Himself there is one bread that is the uniquely and perfectly true Bread that comes from God. There is one drink that is the uniquely and perfectly true Drink that comes from God. The “true” bread and wine is no less than the the Body and the Body that we receive in the Eucharistic. And as this is the case, whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood in the Eucharistic celebration lives in Christ and He in us. There is a mutual indwelling.
While we may not experience the greatness of what happens at every Eucharist, there always is a mutual indwelling as we encounter our loving Lord and our loving Lord sweeps us into Himself and the life that He gives us.
There is a unique access to the beauty and immensity of the love of God given to us in the death and resurrection of His Son that is made available to us as we celebrate out weekly Eucharist. The gift of manna was a wonderful act of God and it is over. Now we have its perfection in the bread that has come down from heaven and anyone who eats this bread lives forever.
