Gospel for August 25 2024 – John 6:60-69
Gospel Reflections for August 25 2024
Will you stay or leave?
Today is the final week of several Sundays where Jesus teaches about the Eucharist. In each Gospel Jesus speaks to large crowds, and yet some still find it hard to accept.
But notice what the crowd does after His speech, and what Jesus does not do in response!
Just like in our political and religious debates today, a number of people in the crowd shout out their objections to Jesus. It is understandable that some might feel this way. The Eucharist is not easy to understand. How bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Our Lord is a mystery that can take time to comprehend.
Some people today think that Jesus must have been speaking only symbolically, and wasn’t being literal about bread and wine becoming His Body and Blood. It would certainly be easier to think that it is 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 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 yell, “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 easier to understand, or a ruse to get more people to follow Him.
This is the deep love that inspires the equal love and dignity that Paul describes for husbands and wives in the Second Reading. The Eucharist is the total love of Jesus for you just as husbands and wives have total love for each other. That is why this Second Reading is read today.
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 you to receive. Let us simply follow His will.
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
I have had many conversations with friends about Transubstantiation and the Truth of our belief regarding the reception of Holy Eucharist. I remain firmly convinced that this is Genuine and Real in my Mind and Heart. I defend it with Vigor.
The Gospel likewise has some language that causes some discussion regarding Wives being submissive to their Husbands. The language following that takes some of the sting out of the comment and True Love practiced by the parties makes it easier to practice.
True Love between Husband and Wife once experienced escapes description by mere terms of the language describing it.
Thanks for these reminders Father Dave of the magnificence of the Faith We have and enjoy!
Yes, the Catholic understanding is that husbands and wives have equal love for each other, and is the model for hw Christ loves His church, as the Bridegroom for His Bride.
Thanks Father Dave! Tom
You rae welcome!
Love your words as always!!!I have always believed that I was receiving the body and blood of Jesus in the precious sacrament of Holy Communion since I was 7!!!!! Recently I have the beautiful belief that if we are receiving Jesus’ precious Body and Blood, we are also receiving His loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! and it has influenced me to love more and more and more as He would loveeeeeeeeeeee me to do!!!! ” Love one another as I have loved you”!!! The Eucharist is Jesus and is giving us his body, blood and Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee it and love you and all the precious priests that give us our loving Jesus” Our Jesus loves you all soooooooooooooooooooooooo much for giving the gift of His Eucharist to others!!!! With loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Franca
Thank you1
Dear Father Dave,
Thank you for your beautiful reflection on our Eucharist and the Sacrament of Matrimony.
Both are under attack these days but both will prevail because of God’s will.
God bless!
Kathleen
You are welcome!