Words of Spirit and Life

Theme: MAN DOES NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON THE WORD OF GOD AND THE “BODY OF CHRIST”

• Deuteronomy 8:2-3. 14-16;
• Psalm 147:12-15. 19-20. R. v. 12;
• 1 Co 10:16-17
• John 6:51-58

1. Today we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi and the readings today tell us that man does not live on bread alone, but on the word of God and the “body of Christ”!

    The first reading tells us that man does not live on bread alone, but on the word of God! The first reading tells us that God brought the people of Israel into the desert to teach them that man does not live on bread alone but on the word of God!

    Thus we read in the first reading: “The Lord your God humbled you, he made you feel hunger, he fed you with manna which neither you nor your fathers had known, to make you understand that man does not live on bread alone but that man lives on everything that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”! (Dt 8:3)

    This text was quoted by Jesus against the devil when the devil tempted Jesus to turn stones into loaves of bread to satisfy his hunger: “Human beings live not on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”! (Mt 4:4/NJB)

2. The responsorial psalm follows the theme of the first reading. The responsorial psalm is a hymn of praise to God who restored Israel after the Exile, and more importantly, the responsorial psalm is a hymn of praise to God who made Israel the place of revelation of God’s word!

    The responsorial psalm has three stanzas. The first stanza and the first part of the second stanza praise God for restoring Israel after the Exile. (Ps 147:12-14)

    The second part of the second stanza and the third stanza praise God for making Israel the place where God’s word is revealed:

    “He sends out his word to the earth and swiftly runs his command. He makes his word known to Jacob, to Israel his laws and decrees. He has not dealt thus with other nations; he has not taught them his decrees.”! (Ps 147: 15. 19-20)    

    Thus the response of the responsorial psalm: “O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!” (Ps 147:12)

3. The gospel tells us that man does not live on bread alone but on the “Body of Christ”! Thus we read in the gospel:

    “I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’ (Jn 6:51)

    “I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.” (Jn 6:53-55)

    “This is the bread come down from heaven; not like the bread our ancestors ate: they are dead, but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.” (Jn 6:58)  

    The gospel tells us that we eat the body of Jesus and we drink his blood in the Eucharist! Very important, in the Eucharist, we eat the transformed and glorious body of the Risen Lord, who is not limited by time and space, who can pass through closed doors, who can be at any place in an instant, and who do not need food and sleep! (McKarns)   

    The Risen Lord can enter the bread and change it into his body, and when we eat his body, He can enter us and change us into his risen, “living and glorious Body”! 

    Thus we read in the “General Instruction of the Roman Missal” (GIRM): “The priest breaks the Bread and puts a piece of the host into the chalice to signify the unity of the Body and Blood of the Lord in the work of salvation, namely, of the living and glorious Body of Jesus Christ.”! (No. 83)   

4. Finally, the second reading tells us that when we eat the body of Christ we become the one body of Christ, that is, we are united with Jesus Christ and we are united with one another!

    Thus we read in the second reading: “The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf.”! (1 Co 10:17)   

5. Today in the Eucharist, we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we eat his body and drink his blood, and the Risen Lord will enter us and transform us into his risen, living and glorious Body; and we will become the one Body of Christ, united with Him and with one another; and we will become a sacrament of salvation for the world! A happy Corpus Christi to all of you and a happy week to all of you!

Amen!