16/08/2009 - 20th. Sunday in Ordinary
Season - B
Ist. Reading Prov 9,1-6 Psalm 33 IInd. Reading Eph 5,15-20 Gospel Jn
6,51-58
"Give us this day our daily bread". We can also think of the 'us'
and the 'our' in a narrow sense: those who pray this prayer are the Christians,
the baptized. No one dreams of calling God with the name of Father and ask him
bread for others. We Christians, we baptized, ask for ourselves the 'bread'.
It might seem that this a selfish way of praying. Could it be that Jesus taught
us to think only for ourselves? Do we think only for ourselves? Do we busy ourselves
only with the Christians? If it was so, we make right those who scandalize themselves.
It's enough to look and read history and geography to realize immediately that
the Christians are those who think for all in all corners of the earth, even
where it is prohibited for them to do it. Those who know the initiatives of
Mother Teresa of Calcutta and many other Christians, those who know the schools
and hospitals in the middle east or Africa, can see that the majority of those
who are being served by these institutions, are not Christians. When we think
of the 'us' as 'we Christians', and it's legitimate to think of it likewise
- we are to ask what is the bread that we Christians need. Which is the bread
that we ask from our Father? Is it only the bread we eat at dinner? We, Christians,
we need a special bread, that sustains our fraternity, that nourishes our love
for all the world, and that helps us to grow in unity and in holiness. The bread
that we Christians need, is the new and living bread, that does not only nourishes
our body, but also our spirit. The bread that Jesus make us ask from the Father
is the one which the Church needs daily to be the temple of God, able to welcome
all men to pass on to them the forgiveness and peace, communion and joy. The
bread every Christian and all the Church need is the Body of Christ, which we
nourish ourselves with every day. This bread tie us with the other baptized,
and help us to be open to other as we give ourselves to all, even those who
are not Christians or even hate us, as a sign and gift of God's love. "Give
us this day our daily bread".
The Jews were discussing among themselves. They could not understand Jesus was
saying. Not even we are able to understand it, if the Holy Spirit does not enlighten
us. To eat bread that comes down from heaven…to eat the flesh of the Son of
Man, and to drink his blood, are strange words to man's ears, even today. To
eat and drink the flesh and blood of a person, are expressions that make us
think. The are certainly an expression that is to revive in us a deep wisdom,
and not only the sole preoccupation of the material food. Already the Book of
Proverbs, for sure known by Jesus, speak of bread and wine and a embellished
table of wisdom. They are images to help us take seriously the teachings of
God, that want to help us go over our lack of experience. "Forsake foolishness
that you may live": what to do to forsake foolishness? The only way is
to give ear to someone who knows and obey him. The only expert who knows how
to direct us to the good and to the fulfillment of life can only be the one
to "made" it, the one who created it, our God and Father! That's why
he says: "Come, eat of my food, drink of the wine I have mixed". What
could be the bread and the wine God has prepared? In today's Gospel Jesus give
us the answer. He knows that food and drink are necessary for man, but knows
too that they are not enough to make him happy. To be happy and joyful at heart,
man need to work to build a spirit of communion and fraternity with others.
Jesus is the food and drink we absolutely need. Is it enough to listen to him?
Is it enough to call him and pray to him? He says that it is necessary to eat
and drink his flesh and his blood. How to eat him and how to drink him? He himself
thought about this and instituted a sacramental sign, in fact, bread and wine.
Easting and drinking that bread and that wine that his hands offer us through
the apostles, we are transformed: our life becomes a continuation of his life.
Hence we become one also with all the brethren that eat the same food and drink
the same cup. Their life and our life is an expression of the life of Jesus,
of his obedience to the Father, of his perfect love, of his offer. With those
brethren that nourish themselves through him, we become one heart and one spirit,
and hence our communion and our joy grow. St. Paul continues to reflection:
he exhorts us not to focus on the pleasure of food and drink: "Do not get
drunk on wine", "instead, be filled with the Spirit". How to
be filled with the Spirit? He suggest that we spend time "singing and praising
the Lord", but also "giving thanks continuously for every good thing
to God the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ": and the breaking of the
bread, the eucharist, is the highest thanks that pleases God. This is the true
daily bread that we ask from the Father, which we don't want never to refuse.
He gives it to us on Sunday, as every day. Of it the members of the Church nourish
themselves so that they can be ready to give themselves in a life of love, a
life truly divine because it's a life that becomes love.