[Proverbs 9:1-6; Psalm 33; Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-58]

Today we are given choices between wisdom and folly. In the first reading we are invited by wisdom to ‘come and eat my bread, drink the wine I have prepared! Leave your folly and you will live, walk in the way of perception.’ Jesus is the Wisdom of God when he speaks to us in the Gospel, telling us that the bread spoken of in the Old Testament has become a person in the New Testament. Jesus is the Living Bread; his flesh is given for the life of the world.[1]

Jesus is desperate for them to accept this; He emphasises that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood. Jesus wants everyone to be saved. Again, Jesus wants them to make the wise decision and choose life over death. The choice is a startling but simple one, He says ‘eat my flesh and live’, the Living Bread of the New Testament gives eternal life, those who ate the bread in the Old Testament are dead.

In the second reading St Paul is urging us to lead a simple life, he is urging us to use the talents God has given us, including our intellect. He warns us against doping our senses with alcohol. Instead of using artificial means, we have to trust in the Holy Spirit, sing psalms and hymns when we are together and continue to sing and chant them in our hearts when we are alone. This reminds me of the times when I find myself with a tune in my head on a Monday morning and realise it is either the Responsorial psalm or a hymn from one of the Masses on the Sunday.

He is telling us to stay focussed on the prize of immortality, nothing else should get in the way. If we think of the past few weeks in our country where some people took advantage of the senseless killing of children to incite hatred of others; we can see that people were influenced by the promptings of others to react, some of them were quite clearly seen to be carrying alcohol; allowing the hatred as well as the alcohol; and perhaps other substances; to fuel their lust for destruction. While St Paul was writing almost two thousand years ago, the description of ‘wicked age’ could be applied to today just as it was to those times so long ago.

Those who sewed the putrid hatred of others because of their religion or colour would do well to obey the last verse of the psalm used today: “Then keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn aside from evil and do good; seek and strive for peace.” By seeking and getting to know Jesus as the Son of God and the Bread of Life, they and we could learn to love instead of hate. If this could happen then maybe this land could become that green and pleasant land once more and all men and women could live in harmony.

Further Reading

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 1402-1405: the Eucharist, pledge of future glory
CCC 2828-2837: the Eucharist is our daily bread
CCC 1336: scandal

From Placid Murray OSB [with the new translation inserted at the prayers during Mass.]

“We cannot explain the mysteries of our faith, but we can put them into words. By comparing one mystery with another, we can help ourselves to accept and love them: the light from one mystery will clarify the difficulty arising from another.

The Son of Man came down from heaven, once, long ago, when he was born of our Lady. He comes as the living Bread from heaven repeatedly at Mass. We can help our understanding of his presence in the Eucharist, if we compare it to his first coming on earth. When we speak of his ‘coming’ in either case – at the Incarnation and in the Eucharist – there is no question of travel, distance or space, as we usually understand such things.

The Jews had asked the question: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ We can answer that question by two prayers from the Mass:

  1. The bread and wine on the altar, as physical things, come from earth, not from heaven. This is quite clearly said in the prayer at the Offertory: ‘through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become the bread of life.’
  2. The consecration of the bread and wine comes from heaven: We shall hear this during the Eucharistic Prayer: ‘Therefore, O Lord, we humbly implore you: by the same Spirit graciously make holy these gifts we have brought to you for consecration, that they may become the Body and Blood of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, at whose command we celebrate these mysteries.’

This then is our answer to the Jews’ question: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ – How?

By the power of his Spirit, in answer to the Church’s prayer, said by the ministry of her priests.”[2]

Please keep in your prayers this week

  • The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
  • Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
  • All the staff and pupils of our schools that they have a safe and healthy break over the summer holidays.
  • Those with mental health issues.
  • Ariana, Ariella, George, Sophie and Lianne who will be baptised at St Bede’s this weekend.

Deacon Tony

16th August 2024

[1] Oseagwina Jerome Ituah OCD, Pastoral Review Vol 20. Issue 3, [The Tablet Publishing Company, Twickenham, London, 2024] 79.

[2] Placid Murray OSB, 100 Liturgical Homilies, Artos ouranios Sunday 20, Year B, [The Columba Press, Dublin, 1988] 92.