Gospel for August 22 2021 – John 6: 60-69
Gospel Reflections for August 22 2021
Will you stay or leave?
Today is the final week of several Sundays that feature Jesus teaching about the Eucharist. In each week Jesus speaks to large crowds, and yet some still find it hard to accept. But notice today what the crowd does at the end of His speech today, and what Jesus does not do in response!
Like the current political and even religious debates about church issues around the country today, a number of people in the crowd “shout out” their opinions to Jesus. It is certainly understandable that some in the crowd might feel this way. The Eucharist is not an easy event to understand. How bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Our Lord is a mystery that can take time to comprehend.
Some modern theologians think that Jesus must have been speaking only symbolically, or that he certainly wasn’t being literal about bread and wine becoming His Body and Blood. It would certainly be easier to think that it must be just symbolic, and that Jesus could not have meant that the Eucharist is His real objective presence.
After Jesus speaks, about half the crowd begins to walk away. But why would they leave if they felt Jesus was speaking only symbolically? After all, a symbol is easy to accept. Who would have a hard time with that? Clearly, the crowd recognized Jesus meant the Eucharist was His real objective presence!
Most significant of all in this Gospel, you will notice what Jesus does not do next. He does not run after those who are leaving and yelling, “Wait! …Come back! …the Eucharist is only a symbol!” He does not do that because He clearly means it is not just a symbol. He clearly means that we actually receive Him when we receive the Eucharist.
The crowd may or may not change their mind but Jesus will not change the meaning of the Eucharist just to make it more politically correct or even easier to understand or a ruse to get more people to follow Him.
The Eucharist remains with us today after all these years …still perhaps difficult to understand at times …but still His Real Presence that Our Lord intends for us to receive. Let us simply follow His will.
He knows it will take time for many of us to comprehend, so we will hear these same Gospels next year as well!
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Dick and I so beautifully believe that the precious Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ!!! Soooooooooooooooo love receiving this precious gift and receiving His precious LOVE!!! We are so Blessed and you Father Dave and all the priests are so beautifully Blessed in giving this miraculous gift of Jesus to us!! Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee it and loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee you!!!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Franca and Dick
Thank you!
The Holy Eucharist may be difficult to understand until you feel and see the results of its reception . I cherish the Sacrament and those that consecrate it for me. We are so fortunate to enjoy its reception frequently. I will continue to believe in the real presence.
Yes, the results of receiving is what is so important.