Word to the Wise
Sunday, August 19, 2018 - 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time - B
[Prov 9:1-6; Eph 5:15-20; John 6:51-58]SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2018 TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME [Proverbs 9:1-6; Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-58] “Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” [John] Jesus tells us that he is the bread of life. In his words that follow the multiplication of the loaves and fishes we are told that Jesus feeds us a “manna” in two ways: in his word and in his body. He is present to us in both forms, but the physical form of the consecrated bread and wine is a tangible and sacramental pledge of life eternal. He says clear that those who “feed” on him HAVE eternal life. He gives us the life that he has from his Father who has sent him to give us that life. The “Bread of Life” discourse does not occur at the Last Supper in the Gospel According to John but in Capernaum after the sign of the multiplication. At the Last Supper, Jesus gives himself to his disciples in the distinctive gesture of washing their feet and charging them with doing the same. We can never divorce the Eucharist from love of God and neighbor. Washing the feet of the neighbor is yet another tangible sign of Christ’s presence among us. We are challenged to share the life we have received from the Body of Christ. Our own lives must become the “manna” which is Christ. AMEN
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