Question of the Week
Gospel Reading: John 6:51—58
In his speech to the crowd, Jesus says several things that seem like anathema to his Jewish listeners. He says he will give them his own flesh to eat; he says further that unless they eat his flesh, there is no possibility of real life; and further still, he says that eating his flesh and drinking his blood(!) will give them eternal life. None of this makes sense in any earthly context.
The crowd had no idea that Jesus was going to be crucified, and that his crucifixion would be the source of salvation for human beings. They had no idea that he would give them the eucharist, and that it would provide food: his broken body, for those who believe. Even we who accept these things do not really understand the depth, the extent, the value for our lives, and the cost of our daily or weekly eucharistic meal.
Question: What does the eucharist mean to me in my life? How different would my life be if it were not available?
