Word to the Wise
Tuesday, April 8, 2008 - Tuesday in the Third Week of Easter
[Acts 7:51 - 8:1A and John 6:30-35]Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven' my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." So they said to Jesus, "Sir, give us this bread always." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst."
The "Bread of Life" discourse in the Gospel of John consumes a lot of print in the commentaries! Two broad avenues of interpretation present themselves. One of these is what is called "sapiential." This means that the "bread" of which Jesus speaks is his teaching, his revelation! The second avenue is "eucharistic." Jesus gives us his flesh and blood to eat and drink. This constitutes the "bread of life." Both of these avenues are well represented in church tradition. One might say that both are represented in each celebration of the eucharist because the celebration begins with proclamation and reflection on the Word of God, which is ultimately Jesus Christ. Indeed the Second Vatican Council teaches in the document on the liturgy that Christ is truly present in his word! Therefore we are nourished in that way. (My own personal experience of having people speak of how good preaching "nourishes" them reinforces this idea to me.) At the same time, the gift of Jesus' person in the form of bread and wine speaks to a sacramental/physical action that occurs when the believer receives that consecrated bread and wine - This IS my body. This IS my blood. In both the sapiential and eucharistic senses, it is a matter of faith which accepts the Word of God and then receives that same Word in the eucharistic elements. Thus the "real presence" is broader than the consecrated host and wine. This contains a tremendous challenge to the preaching of the church. Just as a meal is more than the food, the church must be aware of the different levels of "nourishment" that are needed by the People of God. We feed one another by our presence in the assembly and we are fed in the preaching and sacramental action of the priest and we bring this "bread of life" to the world around us. It is a rich feast and a terrifying challenge. AMEN
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