How can he give us his flesh to eat? There are Protestant Churches that have difficulty with the Catholic belief that Jesus in the Eucharist is body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. But people walk away because of the word flesh? Did Jesus mean what he said? Readings for Today.
How can he give us his flesh to eat?
It is no wonder that this question gets asked: How can he give us his flesh to eat? For Jesus, in referring to eating his flesh, drinking his blood, is using the Greek word for flesh. So they have to ask themselves, is Jesus nuts? Is he crazy?
Moreover, other Christian churches who do not believe in the Eucharist, especially those who take the Bible literally, how is it they cannot see that Jesus means what he says. Further, the early followers of Jesus talked about this reality. The Church Fathers taught powerfully about the reality of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Do we really appreciate the great love that Jesus gave us by remaining with us in the Eucharist? Do we really appreciate the gift of the Mass where we can hear the Word of God and receive him into our hearts?
Do we take time each day to think about the blessings God has given to us in our lives? Do we take some time each day to pray? Do we take time each day to ask God to help us to see his presence more clearly.
And even if we do, we can still be surprised by God. Consider Saint Paul in the first reading. He was so convinced that he was absolutely right about Jesus. About his faith and how it was that he (and all Jews) were supposed to live. So certain in fact that he tried to destroy the very Church he would become so wonderful a preacher for after his conversion.
And the certitude of his belief was so great that it lead him to do really terrible things, even murder. And yet, God, who can read the hearts, had something really different in mind. Jesus reaches out to him, quite dramatically, and reveals to him his true identity, both for Paul himself and of course, of Jesus.
The first reading should give to us a great sense of hope. Jesus loves us. Jesus wants each of us to live forever. Jesus wants us to know that we can live forever, not because of our own merits, but because of what Jesus, in his love, does for us.
We can become discouraged sometimes when we fall short of the expectations of Jesus. When we sin, we can even think that there is not much that Jesus can do for us. We betray him so badly, we do not think he could really save us.
But the gifts of the sacraments to us through Jesus should serve as tremendous proof of his love for us. We can be washed clean in baptism. We can truly receive the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus in the Eucharist. We can have our sins forgiven by going to confessions. And more.
This season of Easter is for us to celebrate the truth of what God can do. Paul goes from persecuting the Church to trying to draw people into the Church. If there was such great grace for Saint Paul to convert, there can be for us too.
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