In Last Sunday’s Gospel, the revelation of the Holy Eucharist takes place.
In the First Reading the Israelites were grumbling against Moses in the desert. They wanted their bellies filled and were even willing to return to slavery in Egypt just to have full stomachs. They had very weak faith despite all the miracles. But God miraculously provides an edible substance each day for them. This is known as “manna” and He also provides quail. The provision of “manna” would continue for the forty years, that the Israelites were in the desert. It would only cease when they entered the Promised Land.
St Paul in the Second Reading teaches that since we have become believers in Christ, we can no longer live carnal, materialistic lives as the pagans live. Unfortunately, many in today’s world are living purely materialistic lives, following the gospel of the world and seeking pleasure, treasure and power. The anti-Gospel comes above all through the television and internet, where false hopes of happiness and fulfilment are promised. But one can only be truly fulfilled and happy when one finds Christ and obeys the Will of God.
In todays’ Gospel, it is the day after the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes by Jesus that fed the five thousand. The people are seeking Jesus and find him in Capernaum. However, many were looking for Him because they got a free meal the day before. Their faith was very weak, and they needed more signs in order to believe. Jesus can see their motives and He urges them to have spiritual motives. If they have the right attitude, they will be able to understand His teaching which He is about to give about the True Manna. Jesus now begins His teaching on the Eucharist. He is the Bread of Life who will give Himself to us sacramentally in the Eucharist. The manna provided to the Israelites in the desert was only a figure of the true supernatural Bread of Life which God would give us in the Eucharist.
In the Old Covenant many animals were sacrificed by the Jewish Priests to make atonement for sin. But these sacrifices were always imperfect. The perfect act of atonement is made through the one eternal Sacrifice of Christ on Calvary, which is renewed mystically in every Holy Mass. Then, as the Good Shepherd, Jesus feeds us at Mass with the Bread of Life, the Holy Eucharist for our journey through the desert of this life.
Last week, began Vocations Awareness Week, and we are reminded of the necessity for more good vocations to the Priesthood, because without Priests there can be no Eucharist, no Confession etc. So, lets pray for more vocations.
Our mission on earth is to know, love and serve Christ and love our neighbour as ourselves. We have all received various gifts and talents from above and we should generously put these at the service of building up the Kingdom of God. One reason people start seeking worldly success is because they don’t think about Heaven enough. Heaven is our Final Destination. It is just as real as the Divine Mercy Shrine in Lower Chittering. So, thinking about Heaven is common sense.
This reminds me of the story of Blessed Roger Wrenno. He was a working class Englishman from the 1600’s and he was granted a powerful experience of Heaven. During his time, Catholicism was outlawed in England and he was being executed for hiding and protecting Priests. But as he was hanging on the gallows, before he died, the rope suddenly broke and he fell to the ground. Shortly, he recovered his senses, then he knelt there on the ground and began to pray with his eyes lifted up to Heaven. The officials came up to him and extolled the mercy of God to him. They renewed their offer that he could go free if he would renounce his Catholic Faith, by signing his oath of allegiance to the king of England as head of the Church, instead of the Pope. But Roger immediately stood up, affirmed his Catholic Faith once again, and then began climbing up the ladder as quickly as he could.
The guards were shocked, and the sheriff asked out loud: What does the man mean, that he is in such haste?
Roger answered: If you had seen what I just saw, you would understand.
They hung him again and he died smiling. God doesn’t give us all a glimpse of Heaven before we die, but He gives us all the gift of Faith which will always tell us what true success is really like. Whenever we receive Holy Communion, we hear the words by the Priest:
The Body of Christ or the Body and Blood of Christ and we respond: Amen.
How incredible a gift it is to receive our God into our hearts in Holy Communion. This is the profound expression of God’s love for His people. God, by giving us Himself in the Eucharist, gives Himself to us in a way which is total, and which places Himself completely at our disposal. If the Eucharist is a sacrament of Love, it is necessarily a sacrament of union. He loves us with such a complete and infinite love that He wants us completely united with Him. He wants to give of Himself to us over and over through the Eucharist so that more and more we may share in Him. Jesus said:
“…that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us, … . The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one even as We are One.” (Jn 17:21-22)
To do this, He provided us with this most perfect means of unity: the Blessed Eucharist.
Let’s prepare for Heaven every day through living a devout life, by praying the Holy Rosary, through Eucharistic Adoration, which is available 24/7 in this Parish, regular Confession and weekday Mass, which is available every day in this Parish. Praise be Jesus Christ, truly present Body, Blood and Divinity in the adorable Sacrament of the Altar!