Gospel reflection for Aug. 11, 2024, 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The same familiarity with Jesus that enticed those at the synagogue to reject Jesus’s teaching there now also causes the crowd whom he fed with a few loaves and fish to also turn on him. They were fine with his teaching for three days; they certainly ate from the bounty of food as he multiplied the bread and fish, but now as he explains to them the meaning of the miracle they become suspicious of his teaching and question his origins.
In this chapter (John 6) Jesus drives home the message: “I am the bread of life.” He associates this Bread with the manna that the Israelites ate in the desert, given as a gift from God to them for their sustenance. In associating himself with this ancient event,
Jesus offers himself to them as the prophet; the One who came down from Heaven to teach them, here they are showing signs that they will reject him and his message. As we move forward over the next few weeks of reading through this dialogue between Jesus and this crowd, the level of intensity and disconnect between them and Jesus steadily increases. They want bread for sure, but they do not want all that comes with accepting Jesus as the “Bread of life.”
In his homily for the closing of the Eucharistic Congress, Cardinal Luis Tagle taught: “Jesus is sent to be given by the Father to others, sent to be a gift. He is not sent just to wander around and to enjoy Himself. He is sent to be given.”
While we recognize that through the Paschal Events Jesus offers himself for the sake of the salvation of the world. His suffering and death are a free sacrifice of himself for the sake of the Kingdom of God. This is offered by Jesus as a pure gift on our behalf, and this sacrifice is accepted by the Father on our behalf. None of us could make that offering, thai is a gift borne solely of the relationship between the Father and the Son. We did nothing to merit the gift, nor could we prevent the gift from being offered and accepted.
We utilize this language of the gift in the Eucharist. This is spelled out most clearly in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer 1) when after the Institution narrative the priest prays” “Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed Passion, the Resurrection from the dead, and the glorious ascension into heaven of Christ, Your Son, our Lord, we, Your servants and Your holy people, offer to Your glorious majesty from the gifts that you have given us, this pure victim, this holy victim, this spotless victim, the holy Bread of eternal life
and the Chalice of everlasting salvation.
“Be pleased to look upon these offerings with a serene and kindly countenance, and to accept them, as once you were pleased to accept the gifts of your servant Abel the just, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek, a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim.
“In humble prayer we ask you, almighty God: command that these gifts be borne by the hands of your holy angel to your altar on high in the sight of your divine majesty, so that all of us, who through this participation at the altar receive the most holy Body and Blood of your son, may be filled with every grace and heavenly blessing.”
It is clear in the dialogue between Jesus and this crowd that he desires to offer himself to them as a pure gift, and as a pledge of eternal life. This Bread of Life, come down from heaven, is the promissory note for eternal life.
We share in that gift when we receive Eucharist. This is the highpoint of the Christian life, the fullest sense of the communication between Jesus Christ and the faithful in a living community of believers.
This gift is not, however, solely unilateral. We in turn offer ourselves as gifts for the sake of the other. This is the heart of the relationship between parent and child; husband and wife; consecrated religious and the charism of their institute; the priest and the community he serves.
Cardinal Tagle observed: “The presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is a gift and the fulfillment of His mission. This is my body for you, my blood for you. Always for you, for all. Never for me, for you, for all. In Jesus’ mission and gift of self-meet, the Eucharist is a privileged moment to experience Jesus’ mission as a gift of Himself.”