A Cycle – Feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ 26

Jn.6:51-58

The Israelites cried out to God seeking relief from the bondage of slavery.  Yet it seemed the louder they cried out, the more God remained silent.  It is not the first time, and it was not the last time we hear faithful believers in the scriptures express their doubt in God’s goodness.  “How long O Lord must I cry out and you do not hear.  How long must I cry violence, and you do not respond” (Hab.1:2).  We want God to intervene in our lives and yet we like our ancient forefathers fail to recognize those moments when God responds.    We see that in today’s first reding where Moses recorded God’s response to the grumbling of the Israelites as they faced an uncertain future. They were set free, but they constantly questioned if God was with them. We too have been set free and like them we wonder if God cares what we are going through.   

Their future was uncertain. Where was this promised land, how would they live, what would they eat, would they survive?  Not much difference from the worries of today as we face our own journey of life.  We have our own moments of if God hears our prayers. Like the blind man we want to see but we lose our vision.  We lose our memories and self-reliance, vision, spouses and children, cancer, Parkison’s, and many other life changing issues. How long must we cry out God and wonder if He does answer prayers.

Those early Israelites reveal a pattern of behavior that defines our humanity. When they faced the red sea with the Egyptians chasing them, determined to bring them back into slavery.  All they could see was the obstacles before them and the danger behind them.  They cried out, “why did you bring us here to die.” They were willing to settle for slavery, hunger, pain, an absence of God because they could not believe anyone could save them.  

Why? Because they knew what life was like  It was predictable and it is better to live a predictable life than the uncertainty of trusting God has a better plan for us.    Yet they witnessed a miracle in the parting of the Sea. They danced and rejoiced as the Egyptians drowned in the Red Sea.  But it did not take long when they ran out of water and food and grumbled louder.  Even with freedom and the mana satisfying their need for food they still grumbled.   Their response to God’s provident care is a part of our own humanity. Mana became a part of a daily routine and in one way, mana no longer became a miracle which sustained their faith in God.

The Israelites of Jesus’s day heard the stories of the exodus, but it was a story they had not experienced. Jesus spoke to them about another miracle where blessed bread and blessed wine would become His body and blood. Because we an age thousands of years after Christ’s death where our doctrine and theology about the Eucharist is embraced and believed.  Yet, we must ask ourselves, does it impact us in a way that affirms a belief within us that “we will live forever” as Jesus said it would.  Or do we allow our doubts in God’s goodness to override out belief in the Eucharist because we have doubts about God’s provident care for us.

Do take to heart the words of John the disciple as he emphatically proclaimed, “whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.”  Or does out our doubt in God’s goodness move us to grumble and wonder where God is when we need Him.  We have this tendency to look inward and allow past sins to condemn us and separate us from feeling God’s forgiveness.  Past sins have a way of attaching themselves to us and like a leach. They drain away any hope for us to experience eternal life.  Lack of trusting God has a way of blinding us from the miracles God is willing to have us experience.  This is because we have learned sin must be punished and the damage sin caused must be repaired. We see ourselves as being unworthy of receiving God’s forgiveness.

Yet with all that baggage we do receive the Eucharis.  We have become comfortable with Jesus’s present in the Eucharist without expecting Jesus to open our heart to respond to Christ. Has it become a habit that like the Israelites we ignore the miracle and want God to do more. God knew we would want more and that is why Jesus was doing when He instituted the Eucharist at the last supper.  He was establishing a new way to appropriate the grace of His sacrifice by remaining with us always. 

All we seek is found in Jesus and we have an opportunity to be at the foot of the cross during every mass. We can experience the risen Lord as Mary Magdaladid at the resurrection.  Yet, like her, we remain blind to His presence and remain believing and confused at the same time. There is a way to change that and have a distinct experience every time we receive communion. It begins with acknowledging it is Jesus is in front of us.  At those words, “the body of Christ” we need to boldly confirm His presence by saying “AMEN.”   

As you consume the Eucharist and return to your pew say” yes, it is you, Lord.”  I acknowledge I am like the prodigal, and I am willing to settle for less than you want to give me.  Change my heart Lord as I invite you to dwell there where all my emotions live. Come into my heart and open my eyes to see and give me the courage to respond. I want to experience the more you want me to experience. AMEN