How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?

Greetings on this the Friday of the Third Week of Easter
Readings: Acts 9:1-20; PS 117:1bc, 2; Jn 6:52-59
Notes: All week this week we have worked our way through the gospel message of John where Jesus tells us time and again the Father is found through the Son in the Bread of Life. The Father himself teaches this as does Jesus.

Remember, he is Living Bread. We do not consume him as to exhaust him.
We eat his flesh that we might become a part of him and his divine life with the Father.

I like to use the example of a nursing mother. Do we criticize a Mother for feeding her baby breast milk? No, rather we know this is the way of life from the beginning. Mother does not die but lives as she gives life to her infant. For a mother there is nothing more intimate.

For the Lord, the same.

The manna prefigures the Bread of Life.
The rejection of manna prefigures the rejection of The Way.

First reading
Ananias was a brave guy. He trusted the Lord to enter into the deepest conflicts of mankind: Listen or do not listen to the Lord. He did as the Lord instructed and Saul, becoming Paul, became one of the two most preeminent founders of the Church: Peter and Paul.

But Ananias replied,
“Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man,
what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem.
And here he has authority from the chief priests
to imprison all who call upon your name.”
But the Lord said to him,
“Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine
to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel,
and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.”
So Ananias went and entered the house;
laying his hands on him, he said,
“Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me,
Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came,
that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Responsorial Psalm
Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

Alleluia Verse
Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood,
remains in me and I in him, says the Lord.

Gospel Portion
“How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?”

Even today some Christian sects struggle with the question and clearly those antagonistic to The Way also struggle with this belief of the faith. In earliest times, the Romans had Christians put to death for this supposed cannibalism. Yet, Jesus lives even as we partake of him, body and blood.

For my Flesh is true food,
and my Blood is true drink.
Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood
remains in me and I in him.
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.

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry