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 20^TH SUNDAY, YEAR B: REFLECTION BY FR JULIAN EKEH

THEME: I AM... COME!

(John 6:51-58)

In the Gospel of today, we saw Jesus teaching about the Holy Eucharist. He did not only teach His disciples but the crowds of the Jews.

He begins with "I am." He says: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever..." This should have initiated a flashback to Divinity. This is meant to make them reflect on the wondrous doings of God in the wilderness and how He fed them with bread from heaven. But because the Jews were in the flesh, they were unable to understand the teachings.

Jesus continued: "Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of man and drink his Blood, you have no life in you" He went ahead to differentiate between the food that He is and that which their fathers ate and died. Jesus invites us all to himself for the following Eucharistic reasons.

 

COME AND EAT

Happy are those called to the supper of the lamb. Do you still receive the Holy Communion? Do you still do that in the state of grace? Do you feel the hand of Jesus waking you up as he woke Elijah to come and eat to be strengthened for the journey ahead?

 

COME AND DRINK

Life is in the blood. Giving us His blood, opening His side for us like the Pelican is suggestive of the fact that Jesus does not want us to die of thirst of eternal life. When one lacks blood, he dies. Let us go to eat and drink.

 

COME AND SHARE

As we share in the life of God, we are encouraged to be sharers of love. The Eucharist is a unifying force. Let us see each other as one with whom we have something to share.

 

COME AND BE FORGIVEN

The Eucharist draws us to pray for the forgiveness of our sins and those of the whole world. It helps us to prepare ourselves and remain in the state of Grace. It removes venial sins from our hearts and gives us grace to avoid mortal sins. Let us not take the grace of God for granted.

 

COME AND ADORE

"Venite adoremus" is an important invitation we receive. The Real Presence of Jesus Christ in all the tabernacles of the world, indicated by the light that burns endlessly, there calls for profound adoration.

How serious is your devotion to the celebration of the Holy Mass?

How many times have you visited Jesus in the Holy Eucharist on your own?

Do you still genuflect deeply when you enter the Church with the Eucharistic Lord in the tabernacle?

Do you still maintain the great silence accorded to the Blessed Sacrament?

 

COME AND BE TRANSFORMED

The Eucharist comes into Being by Transubstantiation. Transubstantiation implies transformation. In receiving the Eucharist, we are transformed into what we consume. Are you open to the benediction and transformation that flows from the Body and Blood of Christ?

 

COME AND LIVE FOREVER

Do not starve to death. Do not perish eternally in hell. Without Jesus, you're lifeless. Without Jesus, there will be no life in you. Obtain the grace of enjoying eternal bliss from here.

Jesus insists that He lives for us, and since he lives, we too shall live.

We pray at this celebration that the Body and Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord Jesus epitomized in the Eucharist may be our strength, that our joy, our refuge, and our salvation.

We pray that we may not be distracted by the poisonous food of the world but heed the Divine word and ever enjoy here and hereafter at the Holy altar set before us through Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy Sunday

(20th Sunday, Ordinary Time Year B).

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh