Food That Lasts Forever

𝐀𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐋 𝟐𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐃 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟏: 𝐀𝐜 𝟗:𝟏-𝟐𝟎

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟏𝟏𝟕:𝟏𝐛𝐜, 𝟐 “𝐆𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐉𝐧 𝟔:𝟓𝟐-𝟓𝟗

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞: “𝐖𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝

𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.” (𝐯.𝟓𝟒) 

           For those of you who have been religiously following the Word of God particularly the Gospel readings in the past few days should find a quiet place to settle down and reflect on today’s Gospel passage in 𝐉𝐧 𝟔:𝟓𝟐-𝟓𝟗 since this is the last part of the series of discourses spoken by Jesus in reference to His Body and Blood as the food that lasts.

           Today’s scenario marks a dramatic turning point where the teaching of Jesus becomes confrontational such that many of his followers walked away. Similarly, we have also witnessed today how many of those in the Church and or community have walked away because they could not commit to the call to serve.

           What struck me about this Gospel for this Friday of the Third Week of Easter can be read right at the very beginning of the passage “𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬” (𝐯.𝟓𝟐) which gives us an idea that quarreling and disagreements are part and parcel of life in the church, a Christian community and, in a movement or organization for that matter.

           The point of argument among the Jews was their inability to digest and comprehend what Jesus meant when he said in the preceding Gospel passage: “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.” (𝐯.𝟓𝟏)        

The problem with the Jews in those days was that the official interpreter of prophetic messages – the Pharisees and the Scribes – also could not or have intentionally do not want to understand the words and the teachings of Jesus whom they rejected and branded as a blasphemer.

Thus, it was only natural that the words spoken by Jesus would be open to different interpretations due not only to ignorance but because of their bias against the Son of God.

          Today this same problem exists even within the Church, charismatic communities that are supposed to be steeped in faith, lay organizations and movements where the natural character of man overshadows the image and likeness of God.

          There was a time when I was in a Bible-sharing circle and the Gospel passage used for reflection was from 𝐉𝐧 𝟐𝟏:𝟏-𝟏𝟗 and most of the sharing zeroed in on 𝐉𝐧 𝟐𝟏:𝟔 “𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠.” And the Disciples did just that and they caught some 153 fish that the net was at the point of breaking.

          The word that came out from the Bible-sharing circle was the need to listen to Jesus and that listening to him will provide us the direction in life and in what we do.

          Those in the circle could not have been more right for listening is a virtue that only the Godly possess and the refusal and or failure to listen inwardly to what Jesus is telling us is what leads to arguments and disagreements in both the religious and temporal worlds.

That cannot be avoided especially when we arrogate unto ourselves the power and authority that belongs to God by disguising our views and opinions as coming from God.

In my 37 years in the renewal I have practically come across persons of different persuasions and while I believe that the renewal or the charismatic movement have helped transform a marginal church into a militant church, I also view with sadness the reality that even those who have been in the renewal for years remain stuck in their worldly nature.

          Leaders are subjective and guided by what is beneficial to them and have lost sense of objectivity in the performance of their functions. What is worse is the fact that divisive situations are being rationalized by the leaders themselves instead of the more important objective of forging unity through the pastoral process.  

          This brings us to the Gospel passage for today and we may probably ask ourselves why Jesus offered himself as “food and drink.” For the Jews what Jesus said: “𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮.” (𝐯.𝟓𝟑) was a hard saying and this was borne out of their bias and seeming lack of objectivity thereby forgetting the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves (𝐉𝐧 𝟔:𝟑-𝟏𝟑).

In the Old Testament bread and wine were offered as a thanksgiving sacrifice as a sign of gratitude to God the giver and sustainer of life.

          When Jesus said these words, he was pointing to the sacrifice he was about to make on the cross, when he would shed his blood for us – thus pouring himself out and giving himself to us – as an atoning sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the world.

His death on the cross fulfilled the sacrifice of the Passover lamb whose blood spared the Israelites from death in Egypt.

          St. Paul whose conversion we read in 𝐀𝐜 𝟗:𝟏-𝟐𝟎 says that: “𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐛, 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝” (𝟏 𝐂𝐨𝐫 𝟓:𝟕). Paul in fact was echoing the words of John the Baptist who called Jesus the “𝐋𝐚𝐦𝐛 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝” (𝐉𝐧 𝟏:𝟐𝟗).

And in today’s Gospel Jesus made himself an offering and sacrifice, a gift that was truly pleasing to the Father. He “𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐝” (𝐇𝐞𝐛 𝟗:𝟏𝟒) and “𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐝” (𝐄𝐩𝐡 𝟓:𝟐).

          When Jesus commanded his disciples to eat his flesh and drink his blood, he is inviting us to take his life into the very center of our being. That life which he offers is the very life of God himself.

This commingling of His Body and Blood with our own body and blood unites us with Jesus such that our original nature of being created in the image and likeness of God is restored.

          What then is the correlation between this unity that Jesus forged with us who eats of his flesh and drinks his blood with the realities of the present time. It simply means that when we have been united and grafted to Christ all our actions must be governed by what is good and beneficial to the body of Christ which is the Church, community, movement or organization for that matter.

          As we are also half-way into the election season let us use as an example the endorsement being sought from movements and organizations by candidates to elective positions. Such endorsement is the right and privilege of the endorser and endorsees should not even for a moment think that they have a right to an endorsement regardless of whether they share the same faith or not.

          This brings us to the Gospel of 𝐌𝐭 𝟐𝟎:𝟏-𝟏𝟔 which tells us of the owner of the vineyard who paid his workers the same number of wages. “𝐀𝐦 𝐈 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲?” (𝐌𝐭 𝟐𝟎:𝟏𝟓)

           There is also an important point that we can all reflect upon. What Jesus meant when he said: “𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮.” (𝐯.𝟓𝟑) isn’t just a metaphor but a testament that would live on for ages and give life to the world.

           The true meaning of what Jesus said is that to eat his Body that is present in the Holy Eucharist is “taking in” his sacrificial death on the cross not only in faith but in believing that the bread we partake during Holy Communion is no other than the incarnate life of Jesus that is given for the whole world.

           The question we should ask ourselves is not what is it that I want but what is it that God wants. What is it that you hunger for? Those in the church or community, do you want to lord it over rather than allow the Lord to be the Lord of all? Do you hunger for the bread of life?

Do you hunger for food that lasts forever? What is it that you really want? Do your actions correspond to what the Lord wants? And that is for us to be united in his love through His Body and Blood. To pursue a divisive course of action only shows that men have not listened well. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 - 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 24, 2026)