Word to the Wise
Tuesday, April 12, 2016 - 3rd Week of Easter - Tues
[Acts 7:51-8:1a and John 6:30-35]TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016 TUESDAY IN THE THIRD WEEK OF EASTER [Acts 7:51-8:1a and John 6:30-35] "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst." [John] Yesterday, I spoke of the two ways in which the "bread of life" is presented to us in the dialogue that follows the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. Another feature of the Gospel of John, the "I AM" saying, highlights the first part, along with the "misunderstanding" that gives rise to it. The crowd misunderstands what Jesus means by the "bread of God...which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They are thinking of the manna in the desert. Jesus points to himself as the bread of life. In this part, he is speaking of faith in him as the one whom God has sent. It is this faith that satisfies the deepest hunger and thirst. Do we see Jesus in this way? We are a very sacramental Church, and physical "signs" are important to our worship. Before Jesus speaks of giving us his flesh and blood to consume, can we believe in him? For a preacher like me, this is important because it is the Word of God that is preached and Christ is truly present in his Word. This reflection each morning does not take place at the Eucharist (as important as that is)? I hope it is a word of faith, however. Although I would not ascribe the idea to John's Gospel or to Jesus, the division of the Bread of Life discourse has a liturgical ring to it that corresponds to the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. In both cases, it is the Lord whom we receive. For this reason, I ache when I hear parishioners tell me they do not hear quality preaching very often. For today, we see Jesus as the Bread of Life as a matter of faith before we turn to him in a "Eucharistic" way. This satisfies a deep hunger and thirst for the Word of God and can gives eternal life, but it is not all that he offers. There is more to say. AMEN
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