Deut 8:2-3, 14-16; I Cor 10:16-17; Jn 6:51-52
October 17, 2008, a 22ft
dinghy with 30 Dominican refugees aboard drifted for 15 days after getting lost
at sea en route to Puerto Rico. WHAT began as a journey to a better life went
horribly wrong. According to the men, they were all told by the Captain,
Francisco Soler of Miches, not to take any food and water on board since it was
a one-day trip.
Two days after the boat left on, they complained of hunger and thirst to the Captain who could offer them no solution as he was hopelessly lost.
The situation turned even
worse when the fuel ran out leaving them stranded and completely helpless.
One week into the trip they were so weak from food deprivation, the first person died and was thrown into the sea.
One week into the trip they were so weak from food deprivation, the first person died and was thrown into the sea.
They tried to sustain
themselves on rain and seawater as they bobbed for days on the open waters, far
off their original course. Famished and dehydrated, the survivors watched
migrant after migrant die, each time dutifully waiting 15 to 20 minutes before
throwing the body overboard.
By the 13th day only six
people remained. It was almost certain that nobody would complete their
journey. The dying men persuaded those who were still alive, to eat their
body to survive - a great act of concern.
In every nook and corner of
the world we see a great symbol that announces the offer made by a
man to sacrifice himself for giving life to the whole of humanity. The
cross reminds us about the great sacrifice of Jesus. Looking at the clouds
that pass by embracing the cross, a poet sang – those clouds must be
angels that come down to venerate the cross that silently proclaims the great
sacrifice that had taken place two thousand years ago.
At the last supper Jesus
established the Sacrament of Eucharist and symbolically shared His body and
Blood with His disciples. He also commanded them to do it till the end of
the world, in His memory. Food gives energy for sustenance. The Spiritual
food Jesus offered, gives energy for spiritual sustenance.
The concept of God feeding
His children is found throughout the Sacred Writings.
When the Israelites, on
their journey to the Promised Land, were hungry God fed them with Manna.
God sent a raven to feed Prophet Elijah. God sent Prophet Elijah to feed a
woman in Zarephath. When Jesus saw the hungry people, he fed them with bread
and fish, and finally Jesus went to the extreme of offering
Himself for the spiritual sustenance of His People.
We believe in the real
presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. And today, when we celebrate the Feast
of Body and Blood of Christ, we proclaim that conviction aloud.
At the Last Supper, after
taking the bread and breaking it, Jesus said, "Take, eat, this is My
Body." [Mt. 26:26] Jesus clearly said that the consecrated Bread becomes
His physical Body, therefore, He dwells with us and within us in this world.
Afterwards, Jesus said, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood
of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of
sins." [Mt. 26:27-8].
When Jesus spoke of His
Blood, He was telling us that through His death, the spilling of His Sacred Blood,
a New Covenant was beginning. The sins previously committed would be forgiven
so we would be made righteous in the eyes of God. Through our new creation, the
new spirit within us that cannot die because it is of the godly seed, we
received a second chance.
In His teachings, Jesus added, "I am the living bread that came down from Heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever..." [Jn. 6:51] Here, Jesus is telling us that to maintain the on-going righteousness that we have received in the Sacrament of Baptism, we need to continually receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Living Bread of eternal life, the Body of Christ who is physically manifested in the Holy Eucharist.
In His teachings, Jesus added, "I am the living bread that came down from Heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever..." [Jn. 6:51] Here, Jesus is telling us that to maintain the on-going righteousness that we have received in the Sacrament of Baptism, we need to continually receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Living Bread of eternal life, the Body of Christ who is physically manifested in the Holy Eucharist.
Jesus makes the promise so
astonishing that it takes all our faith to accept Him
“He who eats my
flesh and drinks my blood
lives in me and I live in
Him (Jn 6:56) and
“As I myself draw life
from my Father,
so whoever eats me will
draw life from life.”
This imposes a serious
obligation on us Christians – to receive the Holy Eucharist only if we are
determined to live in peace with one another. If there is disunity, if our
hearts are filled with malice towards others, if we indulge in injustice, if we
our thoughts are impure, we have no right to partake in the breaking of the
Bread. The sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is the living bread of eternal
life. Therefore, it is meant for those who are pure of heart. Justin the martyr
taught “It is allowed to no one else to participate in that food which we call
Eucharist except the one who is living according to the way Christ handed on to
us.” St Augustine preached, “Before you receive Jesus Christ, you should remove
from your heart all worldly attachments which you know to be displeasing to
Him.
The most pleasing gift that
we can give to Jesus is a blameless heart. St. Therese of Lisieux wrote,
“Our Lord does not come down from Heaven every day to lie in a golden ciborium.
He comes to find another heaven which is infinitely dearer to Him - the heaven
of our souls”.
Dear brothers and sisters,
let us discard everything that displeases Jesus, and make our hearts
a dearer heaven to Him.
Satish