"The words Jesus spoke are spirit and life."

        
Liturgical readings


Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b
Psalm 34
Ephesians 5:21-32
John 6:60-69

"The words Jesus spoke are spirit and life."


We can understand why Jesus had a difficult time convincing His own disciples about giving His Flesh as food. It was difficult for Jesus to convince a people whose context of understanding was still rooted in their Mosaid Law - the Law Moses gave them in the Old Covenant. In this Old Covenant, the followers of Jesus and the others with them, understood as "food" only the food which their own Jewish Law permits them to eat. And that is stipulated in the Old Testament. Jesus, a wise teacher, instead of referring to the laws on food in the Scriptures, pointed to His own words as Spirit and life. He wanted His disciples to understand that His Body and Blood are nourishment for eternal life. But they still did not understand and left. They thought only of "perishable" food rather than the food that leads to eternal life. So the people left. Only the Twelve remained.


With the gift of the Eucharist, we understand now how Jesus words are indeed spirit and life. These point to the words of the readings and the gospel. And the prayers of the Mass also gives life to these readings. They help us situate our own lives in the life and Person of Christ, the Word-made-flesh - the Sacrament we receive in Communion. It is the Sacrament that brings the nourishment we need for our souls. It is in the Eucharist that our souls are healed, our spirits are ennobled once more, and our hearts are encouraged to live the Christian life and its principles. With a renewed sense of Life through the Body and Blood of Jesus, even sufferings and losses can have meaning - strengthening us against unbelief, despair or indifference. God's mercy in the Body and Blood of Christ blesses us and gives us new hope.


We are now called to listen well to the Scriptures being read in the Mass. These lead us to understand better what Jesus had been teaching His followers and all the people who listened to Him in Biblical times. Listening is easy if we learn to focus on what is really important. Some helps to this discipline is to know how to keep still and be silent. When we have learned to silence the inner noise within us, then it would be easier to listen to the Word proclaimed in the Mass. Maybe this is one reason why many of Jesus' unbelieving disciples protested and left. They did not know how to keep still nor did they remain silent; they did not listen so as to understand. But, the Twelve did. They only spoke when Jesus questioned them. The hearts of Simon Peter and his companions showed a predisposition to listen. We can learn much from their example.