Gospel Reflections for August 19 2018
Things that last
Jesus said to the crowds: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever…
What are we to make of this?
In an age when food supplies often ran out and famine was frequent, it must have sounded fantastic, but also unreal. Can anything last forever?
I remember years ago in another parish, our Youth Group invited all the priests to play in a softball game. It seemed like the whole parish showed up to watch! The elderly pastor was also invited to play and he courageously stepped up to the plate to face the pitcher. All eyes were on him. He swung at the first pitch, and to his amazement, connected with a solid hit, and the ball sailed far out into the outfield. The crowd erupted in cheers! However, instead of running to first base, he remained at home plate and just stood there in amazement just looking at that ball sail into the air. He could not believe that after all these years he could still hit the ball!
I don’t remember how that game turned out but I never forgot the impact on that pastor of things that last and do not fade away. I think the Gospel today makes that same point.
We live in an age where so many things of value fade away, and wonder what, if anything, lasts?
We have the answer in this Gospel. What Jesus started 2000 years ago still remains with us today, unchanged in its power and grace to transform our lives.
What has not changed is the invitation to follow what Jesus said and did at the Last Supper. It remains the unchanging secret to a happy life today as it was 2000 years ago, and really from the beginning of time. Jesus invites you to take your entire self, your “body and blood” everything that you are, and offer it for the lasting happiness of another.
The action of the Eucharist connects us with what it means to be a human being, and what was also scientifically most likely the engine of our evolutionary success. From the very beginning of our evolutionary past, this action of committing our lives in love for one another enabled our human species to not only last but to prosper with amazing evolutionary success.
Every Mass reconnects us to our human nature, just as God designed, and has lasted to this day.
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
I guess nothing in the World lasts forever. Some things are very old, like the pyramids, thousands of years old. And some dinosaur bones they say are millions of years old. And the rocks that the Earth is made up of are even older than that. But we can see earthly things disappearing from this Earth.
So the everlasting life that Jesus talks about must be associated with something that is not of this World. It must be something that does not have time and space. But Jesus tells us that the lives of faithful people will be united with him forever after our bodies disappear from this Earth. This is such a mystery that escapes human understanding. I guess it can be known only through faith.
Yes, but it remains a fruitful source of reflection even if perfect understanding may not come.
Really enjoyed your comments this week. Right to the point and so useful.
Thank you.
You are very welcome!
Love your precious thoughts of our committing our lives in love for each other as our Jesus did for us at the Last Supper will bring us happiness!! Liveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee our Jesus’ love is what life is all about!!! Love receiving our precious Jesus in the Holy Eucharist!! Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee the Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! and loveee you for giving our precious Jesus to us!!!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Franca and Dick
Thank you!
Fr. Dave
The Eucharist is the most precious gift from God that we can ever have.
In this busy crazy world we have to remember Jesus’s words to never let someone else lack of Faith Hope and Love affect our Faith Hope and Love.
NO Matter what!!!
God Bless
Jane
Yes, that is a very practical lesson!
We want things to last “forever”…
a wonderful vacation, a beautiful sunset, a child’s loving embrace.
We can experience many good things, but do they last forever?
“Lord to whom shall we go, You have the words of “everlasting life”
Well said!
When I look back on my long life & see the people, pets , special events & material things that have passed out of existence, I recognize that the one indestructible thing is LOVE.
I have come to appreciate more than ever the Eucharist & the gift of my Catholic faith., which is why my heart is SO broken over the new sex abuse revelations.!!
It took two years , after the first revelation & the involvement of one of our parish priests,
before I could attend Mass again.
There are no words to describe the anger I feel for the cover ups & protocols that allowed this to continue to happen.
Just when I felt confident to share & encourage friends & family to look at the Catholic Church as a possibility for them, I am now embarrassed & ashamed. How can they look past that & see the beauty of the Eucharist?
Sorry if this wasn’ t the right place to vent these feelings.
God Bless You.
Yes, it is hard to see these behaviors within our church community. We must never let sin discourage us, but instead become even stronger in our faith.
Dear Father Dave,
I suppose at one time or another, all of us have either had or will have the essence of your pastor story apply to us. It’s happened to me and more than once.
My experiences gave me a chance to feel what can only be described as a touch of heaven … extraordinary happiness above and beyond anything I’d ever felt … never to be forgotten.
Yes, so it is with the gift of Christ and His body and blood … so holy and everlasting … never to be forgotten.
Thank you, Father Dave, for your weekly messages and for allowing us to reply.
God bless.
Kathleen
Beautifully written response!