Word to the Wise
Sunday, August 8, 2021 - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time - B
[1 Kgs 19:4-8; Eph 4:30-5:2; John 6:41-51]"Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."
SUNDAY, AUGUST 8, 2021 19TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME [for Dominicans, the Feast of St. Dominic and 800th anniversary of his death in 1221. The scriptures will vary at Dominican locations. The ones given here are for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
"Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."
The "Bread of Life" discourse that follows the multiplication of the loaves and fishes in the Gospel According to John is divided up over several Sundays in a row. In the passage given for this Sunday, the discourse moves from faith in Jesus as the bread of life as the source of eternal life to faith in his physical gift of the Eucharist as the manifestation of his continuing presence in our midst. It is this second meaning that causes some of the disciples to leave him. This climax will appear on Sunday, August 22nd (Sunday Aug. 15, will be the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary].
Because we Catholics view the continuing presence of Jesus in the form of the consecrated host as a central part of our faith, we may lose some of its broader significance. From the moment of his conception, Jesus' body was given for others. His entire life, death and resurrection is meant for the whole world. What we may miss in our understanding of Jesus' gift is what it is intended to accomplish outside the church building, liturgical celebration or adoration chapel. St. Augustine exhorted his community, "Become what you receive!" The reception of the Eucharist is not meant to be a passive act but an impetus to imitate the one we have received. The Eucharist is not a private possession but an instrument to continue Jesus' presence in the preaching of the gospel. We are expected to "become disciples and to bear fruit." [John 15:8] As baptized Christians, our whole person belongs to God and meant to glorify our creator. We can become "eucharist" by our living out faithfully, Jesus' teachings. For us Dominicans [the Order of Preachers: friars, nuns, sisters, laity], our founder, St. Dominic de Guzman exemplified the "man for others" imitation of Christ. Our preaching is meant to enable others to do the same. AMEN