First Reading - Proverbs 9:1-6
Second Reading - Ephesians 5:15-20
Gospel - John 6:51-58
On August 4th (this was the third time), just a couple of
weeks ago, something extraordinary happened in Kerala —a Eucharistic miracle,
where the communion, the bread and wine, was visibly transformed into the Body
and Blood of Jesus. This isn't the first time such a miracle has occurred;
history is filled with similar events. These miracles serve as powerful
reminders that Jesus is the living bread, truly present in the Eucharist.
The first reading today speaks of
Wisdom, which invites people to eat her bread and drink her wine. This is a
metaphorical way of saying that being close to Wisdom helps us move away from
ignorance and brings us closer to true understanding.
In the second reading, Saint Paul
encourages us to live wisely and intelligently. He reminds us to draw near to
the Lord, to recognize and follow God's will, to sing hymns of praise, and to
give thanks to God in everything we do.
In the Gospel, Jesus clearly
states that He is the living bread that came down from Heaven. He invites us to
come to Him to receive eternal life. He emphasizes that the bread He offers is
His own Body, and the wine is His own Blood. This teaching is central to our
faith because it shows that Jesus is fully present in the Eucharist, and when
we receive communion, we are receiving Him directly into our lives.
Dear brothers and sisters, the
Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that the Eucharist is the source and
summit of the Christian life. This means that everything we do as
Christians—our prayers, our good works, our faith—flows from the Eucharist and
leads us back to it. The Eucharist sustains us spiritually because, in it, we
receive the Word of God and the Body and Blood of Jesus. When we celebrate the
Eucharist, we are not just remembering what Jesus did for us on the cross; we
are actually participating in that same sacrifice, made present for us here and
now.
Jesus' words in the Gospel are a
powerful reminder of His promise: "I am the living bread." This isn’t
just a symbolic statement. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the bread and
wine in the Eucharist are transformed into Jesus’ actual Body and Blood. This
is a profound mystery of our faith, and it’s something that happens in every
Mass we attend.
Given this incredible reality, we
should never be afraid or hesitant to approach the Eucharist. Our willingness
to come forward and receive Jesus in the Eucharist shows that we are wise and
understand the great gift we are being given. On the other hand, staying away
from the Eucharist, whether out of fear, indifference, or a sense of
unworthiness, can be a sign that we are missing out on the fullness of life
that Jesus offers us.
So, let us approach the Eucharist with reverence and proper preparation, understanding that this is the most important and life-giving thing we can do as Christians. Let's not forget to encourage our children to grow in the devotion to the Eucharist.
Let us pray for the
grace to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus worthily and to let it transform
our lives, drawing us closer to God and to one another.
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