JOHN 6:41-51
WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID,
I WAS ALWAYS GETTING BANGED UP. I'VE GOT SOME GRANDCHILDREN WHO ARE
AS AGILE AS MONKEYS, AND OTHERS WHO BANG INTO WALLS AND FALL DOWN
STAIRS AND HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING THROUGH A DAY WITHOUT BREAKING
SOMETHING OR OTHER. THIS DOESN'T SEEM TO BE GENDER RELATED, EITHER;
I HAVE A GRANDDAUGHTER WHO IS LIKE THAT. I WAS LIKE THAT; MY MOTHER
BEING OF GERMAN ANCESTRY, USED WORDS LIKE KLUTZ AND TOIFELKOPF, WHICH
I THINK MEANT POTATO HEAD, WHEN REFERRING TO MY LACK OF GRACE, BUT
USUALLY IN A NICE WAY. IN ANY EVENT, ANY INJURY THAT SET ME TO
CRYING BACK WHEN I WAS FOUR COULD USUALLY BE REMEDIED BY MY MOTHER
KISSING THE INJURED PART. OBVIOUSLY, YOU GROW UP. BUT I REMEMBER MY
WIFE JOAN KISSING AWAY INJURIES IN OUR OWN CHILDREN, AND I SEE MY
DAUGHTERS DOING THE SAME FOR MY GRANDCHILDREN AS WELL. WHAT IS THIS
INSTINCT, THAT SEEMS TO BE PART OF OUR VERY HUMANITY? MOTHERS OF
EVERY NATION AND RACE, AND SOMETIMES FATHERS, KNOW THAT KISSING A
CHILD IS VERY POWERFUL. AND A KISS DOESN'T JUST BRING ABOUT HEALING,
ONE ON THE FOREHEAD AT BEDTIME DISPELS THE DEMONS THAT KEEP YOU AWAKE
AT NIGHT WHEN YOU ARE FOUR. A KISS FROM YOUR MOTHER IS A SIGN THAT
YOU ARE FORGIVEN FOR SOMETHING TERRIBLE THAT YOU DID, LIKE BREAK A
LAMP OR ACCIDENTALLY RIDE YOUR TRICYCLE INTO A FLOWER BED.
TODAY'S GOSPEL SOUNDS
VERY COMPLICATED. BUT IF YOU STAND BACK AND JUST LISTEN, IT'S
SIMPLE. JESUS TALKS ABOUT HIS PURPOSE IN COMING INTO THE WORLD.
PEOPLE WHO SEEK GOD, WHO LISTEN TO GOD SPEAK TO THEM, WILL COME TO
JESUS. AND JESUS WILL GIVE THEM HIS FLESH TO EAT SO THAT THEY WILL
NEVER DIE, SO THAT THEY WILL HAVE LIFE.
MANY PROTESTANTS HEAR
THESE SAME WORDS AND CONCLUDE THAT JESUS WAS SPEAKING METAPHORICALLY.
WHEN HE SAYS, YOU HAVE TO EAT HIS FLESH AND DRINK HIS BLOOD, HE
MEANS THAT YOU HAVE TO PUT YOUR FAITH IN HIM AND FOLLOW HIS
TEACHINGS. AFTER ALL, JESUS' FIRST LISTENERS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM:
HOW CAN THIS MAN GIVE US HIS FLESH TO EAT? AND MAYBE YOU AND I WOULD
ADD, WHY? AFTER ALL, GOD COULD HAVE SAVED US IN SO MANY WAYS.
THE FIRST POINT IS THAT
THE PROTESTANTS ARE RIGHT. WELL, NOT QUITE RIGHT, BUT WE WOULD HAVE
TO AGREE THAT JESUS WAS SPEAKING SYMBOLICALLY. WE WOULD HAVE TO
AGREE THAT TO BE SAVED WE HAVE TO PUT OUR FAITH IN HIM AND FOLLOW HIS
TEACHINGS. SAINT THOMAS WAS ONCE ASKED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO A MOUSE
THAT ATE A CRUMB OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST THAT HAD FALLEN ON THE FLOOR?
HIS ANSWER WAS, “NOTHING”. THOMAS BELIEVED THAT THE CRUMB WAS
THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. THE MOUSE WAS RECEIVING HOLY
COMMUNION. BUT THE MOUSE WAS INCAPABLE OF RESPONDING TO THE SYMBOL.
HE IS THE SAME BEFORE AND AFTER TAKING THE EUCHARISTIC CRUMB.
UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK MANY OF US ARE LIKE THE MOUSE. WE RECEIVE THE
EUCHARIST OUT OF HABIT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU GO TO
MASS. MAYBE WE HAVE A WARM FEELING, OR MAYBE WE OFFER A SILENT
PRAYER OR TWO, BUT WHEN WE GO OUT TO OUR CARS, THE MOMENT IS
FORGOTTEN AND WE GO ON WITH LIFE AS THOUGH THIS ENCOUNTER WITH THE
LIVING GOD NEVER HAPPENED. OUR FAITH IS UNCHANGED, OR RESOLVE TO
FOLLOW HIS TEACHINGS IS UNCHANGED. WE ARE LIKE THOMAS AQUINAS'
MOUSE.
SALVATION DOES NOT COME
FROM RECEIVING THE EUCHARIST, FROM THE PHYSICAL ACT OF EATING THIS
BREAD WHICH IS REALLY THE BODY OF JESUS, OR DRINKING THIS WINE WHICH
IS HIS BLOOD. SALVATION REQUIRES THAT WE BELIEVE, AND THAT THE
BELIEF CHANGES US, AND THAT WE BECOME CHRIST, WE PUT ON THE MIND OF
CHRIST, WE REJECT FAME, POWER, RICHES, AND PLEASURE, AND EMBRACE THE
CROSS, ON WHICH NONE OF THESE EXIST. AND THAT IS MORE THAN THE
LONGEST LIFETIME'S WORK. THANK GOD JESUS HAS DONE THE WORK FOR US
AND SQUARED THINGS FOR US WITH GOD ALMIGHTY, HIS FATHER. HE MAKES UP
FOR EVERYTHING LACKING IN US, AND OUR EFFORTS, PUNY AND WEAK AS THEY
ARE, ALWAYS PAY OFF IN ETERNITY.
AND GOD SENDS JESUS TO US
OUT OF SHEER LOVE.
SO WHY DO WE REALLY EAT
THE BODY AND DRINK THE BLOOD OF JESUS? WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS
SCENARIO, WHICH WE CATHOLICS INSIST IS NOT SYMBOLIC, IT IS BOTH
SYMBOLIC AND REAL? THE EUCHARIST IS JESUS IN THE FLESH AND BLOOD,
BUT OUR CONSUMING THE EUCHARIST IS A SYMBOL OF OUR DESIRE AND
INTENTION T BECOME ONE WITH JESUS.
WHEN A MOTHER KISSES AWAY
THE PAIN OF A SCRATCHED KNEE OR A BRUISED FOREHEAD, THE PHYSICAL
CONTACT HAS TO BE THERE FOR HER LOVE TO WORK IT'S MAGIC. WERE SHE TO
STAND OFF AND SAY, “I LOVE YOU, AND I HOPE YOUR PAIN GOES AWAY,”
IT WOULDN'T BE THE SAME. THE KISS MUST BE THERE.
GOD KNOWS YOU AND I ARE
PHYSICAL BEINGS. OUR BODIES ARE THE SACRAMENTS OF WHO WE ARE. WE
ALL KNOW WE AREN'T “JUST A BODY” BUT EVERYTHING WE KNOW,
EVERYTHING WE FEEL, MUST COME TO US THROUGH THE BODY. WHEN A MOTHER
KISSES HER CHILD, IT IS A SACRAMENT OF LOVING CONCERN, AND THERE IS
NO SUBSTITUTE, NO WORDS, NO GESTURES, NO TOY OR TREAT WHICH CONVEYS
THIS LOVING CONCERN BETTER THAN A KISS.
AND THAT IS THE REASON
THE EUCHARIST IS REALLY THE BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS. IT IS GOD'S
UNIQUE WAY OF SPEAKING TO US THROUGH OUR BODIES, OF TELLING US OF HIS
LOVING CONCERN, OF HIS FORGIVENESS, OF HIS PROMISE TO BE WITH US
ALWAYS, OR HIS GUARANTEE THAT DEATH WILL NOT BE THE END. JESUS SPOKE
IN SYMBOLS WHEN HE COMPARED HIMSELF TO BREAD COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN.
BUT AT THE LAST SUPPER, HE CREATED A REALITY THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING
FOR 2000 YEARS AND WILL CONTINUE TILL THE END OF TIME.
A MOTHER'S KISS IS
INTIMATE, THE KISS BETWEEN LOVERS IS MORE SO. BUT THE EUCHARIST, THE
KISS OF GOD THE FATHER IN GIVING US THE BODY AND BLOOD OF HIS SON FOR
OUR FOOD AND DRINK, IS THE MOST INTIMATE OF ACTS OF LOVE, LOVE NOT
JUST FOR OUR SOULS, BUT FOR EVERYTHING ABOUT US.
A MOTHER DISPENSES HER
KISSES WITHOUT EXPECTING ANYTHING IN RETURN. A KISS THAT HEALS, A
KISS THAT DISPELS NIGHT MONSTERS, A KISS THAT FORGIVES, A KISS THAT
REWARDS – FREELY AND ABUNDANTLY GIVEN. AND THE KISS BEING GIVEN
AND RECEIVED, THE CHILD DIVES BACK INTO LIFE, HAVING QUICKLY
FORGOTTEN THE MOMENT THAT WILL STAY IN THE MOTHER'S HEART FOREVER.
BUT NEW AND THEN, THE CHILD TURNS AND BRINGS A KISS TO HER MOTHER.
SHE DOESN'T NEED A KISS, BUT WHAT JOY IT BRINGS HER!
AND WE CHILDREN OF GOD
THE FATHER, WHO RECEIVE HIS INTIMATE KISSES SUNDAY AFTER SUNDAY IN
THE EUCHARIST, A PHYSICAL SIGN OF HIS DESIRE TO HEAL US, TO FORGIVE
US, TO ENCOURAGE US, TO GIVE US LIFE – HOW WILL WE KISS HIM BACK?
