Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 119
Reading 1
Proverbs 9:1-6
Wisdom has built her house,
she has set up her seven columns;
she has dressed her meat, mixed her wine,
yes, she has spread her table.
She has sent out her maidens; she calls
from the heights out over the city:
"Let whoever is simple turn in here;
To the one who lacks understanding, she says,
Come, eat of my food,
and drink of the wine I have mixed!
Forsake foolishness that you may live;
advance in the way of understanding."
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Reading 2
Ephesians 5:15-20
Brothers and sisters:
Watch carefully how you live,
not as foolish persons but as wise,
making the most of the opportunity,
because the days are evil.
Therefore, do not continue in ignorance,
but try to understand what is the will of the Lord.
And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery,
but be filled with the Spirit,
addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts,
giving thanks always and for everything
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.
Alleluia
John 6:56
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
remains in me and I in him, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
John 6:51-58
Jesus said to the crowds:
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my flesh for the life of the world."
The Jews quarrelled among themselves, saying,
"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
Jesus said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day.
For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
remains in me and I in him.
Just as the living Father sent me
and I have life because of the Father,
so also the one who feeds on me
will have life because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven.
Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,
whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Changed by the Eucharist
Jesus said to the crowds: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” John 6:51
It must have been somewhat shocking to the people who heard Jesus say this for the first time. Immediately after Jesus said this, we read that “The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’” Jesus addressed their confusion even more directly by saying, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” Those who were confused must have become even more confused, and those who believed must have deepened their faith as they heard Jesus teach so clearly and profoundly.
Of course, Jesus was speaking about the Eucharist. The Eucharist is truly His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. We know that. We believe it. But from time to time, it is a helpful spiritual practice to revisit our Lord’s very direct and definitive teaching. On the deepest level, the Eucharist will always remain a profound mystery of faith. How can we eat His flesh and drink His blood? To someone without faith and without a basic understanding of the Eucharist, this teaching seems shocking and unbelievable. In fact, it’s easy to understand how some of the first hearers of this teaching quarreled among themselves in confusion. For that reason, we must listen to Jesus’ words with the spiritual gift of understanding so that we are not among those who are confused. Understanding is a gift of the Holy Spirit that opens our minds to the deep spiritual truths Jesus is revealing. If we attempt to listen to this teaching using our human reason alone, we will never understand.
When you consider Jesus’ teaching on the Holy Eucharist, what do you understand and believe? Especially consider what goes through your mind when you attend the Holy Mass and go forward to receive Communion. What normally takes place within you at that moment? Some come forward distracted or even disinterested, paying more attention to the others around them than to the Eucharist. Others simply go forward out of habit because that’s what they have always done. Some see the Eucharist more as a symbol of our sharing in God’s banquet. But some come forward with a deep spiritual hunger and thirst for God, receive Him in faith, love Him deeply as they consume Him, and are filled with hopeful anticipation that their reception of this holy gift will transform them interiorly and set them more firmly on the path to holiness. Which person are you most like?
Believing in the Holy Eucharist and receiving it with the utmost faith and devotion will only happen when we believe. But believing doesn’t come automatically. It first requires understanding. And understanding will only come when we allow our minds to engage the mystery and teaching of Jesus, ponder it, contemplate it, penetrate it and open ourselves to God’s gentle and revealing voice. Words do not suffice to explain this mystery. Prayer that opens oneself to the voice of God alone suffices.
Reflect, today, upon how you approach Holy Communion each week. Start by thinking about the last few times you went forward to receive our Lord in this way. From there, think about how deeply you understand that moment. Is it transforming for you? Are you among those who hunger and thirst for Jesus? Do you notice the spiritual effects that take place within you as a result of your reception of the Eucharist? If so, then deepen your faith by committing yourself to a more prayerful participation in the Mass the next time you attend. If not, then try to step back and examine that which you actually believe, are confused about or do not believe. There is no greater gift we will ever receive in life than the Eucharist. Believe it with all your heart, and the Eucharist will change your life.
Reflection 2
By Fr. Antoni CAROL i Hostench
(Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain)
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever”
Today we continue with the reading of the Discourse on the Bread of Life that concerns us these Sundays: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven” (Jn 6:51). It has a structure, even literary, that is very well thought out and full of rich teachings. How beautiful it would be if we Christians knew Holy Scripture better! We would encounter the same Mystery of God that is given to us as true nourishment for our souls, often drowsy and hungry for eternity. This Living Word is fantastic, the only Scripture capable of changing hearts.
Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, speaks of himself by telling us that he is Bread. And bread, as we well know, is made to be eaten. And to eat - we must remember - we must be hungry. How can we understand what it means, deep down, to be Christian, if we have lost the hunger for God? Hunger to know Him, hunger to treat Him as a good Friend, hunger to make Him known, hunger to share Him, as one shares the bread on the table. What a beautiful image to see the head of the family cutting good bread, which he has previously earned with the effort of his work and giving it in abundance to his children! Now, then, it is Jesus who gives himself as the Bread of Life, and it is He himself who gives the measure, and who gives himself with a generosity that makes one tremble with emotion.
Bread of Life... of what Life? Clearly it will not lengthen our stay on earth even one day longer; in any case, it will change the quality and depth of each moment of our days. Let us ask ourselves honestly: —And me, what life do I want for myself? And let us compare it with the real orientation with which we live. Is this what you wanted? Don't you think that the horizon can be much broader still? Well, look: much more than anything you and I can imagine together... much fuller... much more beautiful... much more... is the Life of Christ pulsating in the Eucharist. And there it is, waiting to be eaten by us, waiting at the door of your heart, patient, ardent like one who knows how to love. And after this, eternal Life: "Whoever eats this bread will live forever" (Jn 6:58). —What more do you want?
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
The world we live in bombards us with a lot of advertisements. These advertisements often contain the promises which they never fulfil. But the Readings of the day bring before us the promises that God makes and fulfils. In the First Reading, which is taken from the Book of Proverbs, we hear wisdom inviting her audience to come and eat at the table she has prepared. In Proverbs we have two women: wisdom woman, and folly lady. It is wisdom woman that fulfils what she promises. In the Gospel Reading, Jesus invites his hearers to come and eat his own body. But they are reluctant to accept Jesus as the bread that came down from Heaven. Jesus gives two promises to those who eat of him: a) they will be united to him; and b) they will have life eternal. The invitation remains open to us – from wisdom, and from Jesus. When the invitation is accepted, promises get fulfilled.
Prayers
My Eucharistic Lord, I do believe; help my unbelief. I thank You for the very gift of Yourself, given to me in the reception of Holy Communion. Please continue to teach me about this Gift, dear Lord. Open my mind to understand so that I will always come forward to receive with the utmost faith, love and hope. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, you nourish and sustain us with your very own presence and life-giving word. You are the bread of life - the heavenly food that sustains us now and that produces everlasting life within us. May I always hunger for you and be satisfied in you alone.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 230: The Contradiction of the Cross
We should never tire of pondering the wounds of Christ. Each and every wound He received was unjustified and caused by the sins of others. His perfect hands and feet, His brow and back and His Sacred Heart should have been treated with the utmost respect, adoration and care. But they weren’t. Instead, they were treated with great malice and abuse. From a worldly point of view, this is tragic. But from the Divine perspective, each and every wound, be it from the scourging, thorns, nails or spear, opened up springs of grace flowing in abundance. This effect is only possible as a result of the Mercy of God. Think of each and every wound our Lord endured as an underground spring or the freshest water, gushing forth from the earth to provide nourishment for all. From the streams that flow on account of these springs of Mercy, we are invited to drink our fill so as to be refreshed and satiated by grace (See Diary #1190).
Ponder, this day, the very wounds of Jesus. Try to see them and to understand the pain that He endured. As you do this, see also beyond the fleshly scourge and trauma caused by the brutality of His persecutors. Ponder the spring of Mercy that is opened with each wound. Become aware of the streams of grace running forth from these wounds and allow yourself to taste of the refreshment that they provide. Mercy has come forth from the sufferings of Christ. Now He desires to flood you with Mercy and to pour forth Mercy from the wounds that you also endure.
Lord, I thank You for Your infinite power and for doing the unthinkable. You allowed Yourself to be beaten and scourged and produced from this malice the springs of new life. May I bathe in these waters, dear Lord, and may I also allow my wounds to become a source of Your grace for a world in such need. Jesus, I trust in You.
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