Thursday of the Third Week of Easter
Readings for Thursday of the Third Week of Easter
First Published: Thursday, May 04, 2006
My Flesh for the Life of the World
Reflection:
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. How ironic that these words, coming from a humble and gentle man could be so misconstrued through the millennia since his life on earth ended. I put it to you the reader, is this statement of the nature of the Eucharist (Communion as it is called by our Protestant brethren) ambiguous? Is Jesus speaking in metaphor? "The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." Does that statement feel like he is speaking in tongues?
The statement is ironic perhaps because there is a historical taboo against cannibalism and therefore is rejected by many saying; "Jesus could not have meant that literally, its against all human norms." Others might reject the whole concept saying; "How can you claim that the bread is changed during the celebration of the Eucharist? It is just a man, the priest, praying over wafers and wine." And still others cannot get past the fact that, even after the prayers, the bread still looks and tastes like bread and the wine, looks and tastes like wine.
It has been reported that, in spite of the fact that our belief in Jesus real presence in the Eucharist is central to Catholicism, many Catholics do not believe the bread and wine are transubstantiated during the Eucharistic celebration. And by leading with the statement above, some may say I have violated my own earlier writing about Holy Scripture and the need to interpret the scriptures instead of taking them literally. In this case, based on the genre of the passage and links to the last supper and Jesus statements at the breaking of the bread, it is necessary, no, critical, that we accept this passage as a literal statement about the nature of the great gift the Lord left us.
It is a widely held opinion that the major reason for the lack of belief in the real presence by some Catholics is the last reason given about. That is, there is no visible change in the bread after the Eucharistic Prayer that consecrates it and moves it from the common domain and makes it the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. (How like our patron, St. Thomas, is that sentament? He might have said; "I won't believe until I see the Host bleed and the wine coagulate.") Unfortunately, there is not physical test that can convince you otherwise. The change is not in the physical nature of the bread. The Lords flesh is real food. Rather, the change is in its very nature or substance. It is a miraculous transformation and if a person cannot believe deeply and completely in the fact that Jesus is God, then it will not make sense and the bread remains just bread, the wine, just wine and the blessing flows the way of belief.
If there are readers of this journal that cannot believe, please continue to try faith can be built and then, what a gift is received. Pax
Readings for Thursday of the Third Week of Easter
First Published: Thursday, May 04, 2006
My Flesh for the Life of the World
Reflection:
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. How ironic that these words, coming from a humble and gentle man could be so misconstrued through the millennia since his life on earth ended. I put it to you the reader, is this statement of the nature of the Eucharist (Communion as it is called by our Protestant brethren) ambiguous? Is Jesus speaking in metaphor? "The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." Does that statement feel like he is speaking in tongues?
The statement is ironic perhaps because there is a historical taboo against cannibalism and therefore is rejected by many saying; "Jesus could not have meant that literally, its against all human norms." Others might reject the whole concept saying; "How can you claim that the bread is changed during the celebration of the Eucharist? It is just a man, the priest, praying over wafers and wine." And still others cannot get past the fact that, even after the prayers, the bread still looks and tastes like bread and the wine, looks and tastes like wine.
It has been reported that, in spite of the fact that our belief in Jesus real presence in the Eucharist is central to Catholicism, many Catholics do not believe the bread and wine are transubstantiated during the Eucharistic celebration. And by leading with the statement above, some may say I have violated my own earlier writing about Holy Scripture and the need to interpret the scriptures instead of taking them literally. In this case, based on the genre of the passage and links to the last supper and Jesus statements at the breaking of the bread, it is necessary, no, critical, that we accept this passage as a literal statement about the nature of the great gift the Lord left us.
It is a widely held opinion that the major reason for the lack of belief in the real presence by some Catholics is the last reason given about. That is, there is no visible change in the bread after the Eucharistic Prayer that consecrates it and moves it from the common domain and makes it the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. (How like our patron, St. Thomas, is that sentament? He might have said; "I won't believe until I see the Host bleed and the wine coagulate.") Unfortunately, there is not physical test that can convince you otherwise. The change is not in the physical nature of the bread. The Lords flesh is real food. Rather, the change is in its very nature or substance. It is a miraculous transformation and if a person cannot believe deeply and completely in the fact that Jesus is God, then it will not make sense and the bread remains just bread, the wine, just wine and the blessing flows the way of belief.
If there are readers of this journal that cannot believe, please continue to try faith can be built and then, what a gift is received. Pax
posted by Deacon Jim | 3:54 AM
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