A GOD TO EAT
Another bread, another life. An eternal life!
I'm pretty sure we are all open to what the gospel has put forward in the last few weeks. Aren't you? A better life. Better nourishment. Who doesn't need this kind of thing? And God wants to give us these things for nothing. Completely free! So, why do we get the impression that our faith never changes our life in a visible way?!
What?
Let's listen to Jesus: «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». The Jews, and in particular the most prepared religious people in that crowd, are very perplexed by these words. And they say: «How can this man give us his flesh to eat?». Yes, how can this really be true?! What does it mean? Are we are some kind of cannibal? Do we really have to eat the flesh of Jesus, the flesh of God? Is this a good thing? Do we really believe this happens every Sunday in the Eucharist?! Maybe we are just so used to coming to church to celebrate the Mass that we have gotten out of the way of thinking about those words. That the Eucharist is beyond our comprehension, a real scandal when we think about it. But the Master seems to be absolutely convinced of that: «Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life».
The faith
We have to admit that we have a problem when we hear Jesus’ words: our faith. It’s hard to believe what he says. The proof is that our Catholic congregations often don't show any faith in what we're celebrating. We gather in church, we repeat words and gestures mechanically, we try to do everything as we should but it doesn't seem to work out. Something is lacking. We have to admit it. Our thoughts are elsewhere, we are not really happy, we are not in visible harmony. And if it is true that the Mass is a wonderful banquet, why does it seem like we are in a famous restaurant with a beautiful facade, marvellous furnishings, a great tradition, but strangely it’s half empty, we just don’t feel like being there. Why? Why are other places, where the food is not nearly so tasty, full and more attractive? Personally I think we are lacking only one thing: faith; faith in what we are celebrating. We don't really believe that every time we go to Mass we chew the flesh of God and receive eternal life. And the world sees our little faith, because we are not capable of expressing the joy of having a God so incredibly beautiful and loving: a God to eat!
Its fruits
Well, what can we do about it? How can we really believe deep down in ourselves? The words of Jesus help us: «Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him». That is what happens every time we eat Jesus: we stay together, like faithful friends, like perfect lovers. That's all. If we love someone we don't need many things: we want just stay together. Right? And that’s enough for God: he wants us, he wants to stay with us, be part of our lives. With our joys, with our sorrows, the good and the bad things we do. Is that enough for us as well? Or maybe we would like to receive something more from God? Some special favour? A special blessing? A sign that shows we are special people for him? And what happens when two people stay together, have you ever thought about it? They get more and more alike: «Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me». When we eat Jesus - believe it or not - we become like him, because we receive his life. When we eat ordinary bread, we transform it into what we need for living. When we eat the holy bread that is him - Jesus - he transforms our life into his life. As St. Paul reminds us, the Eucharist can really change the way we live, «making the most of every opportunity», leading us to understand «what is the will of the Lord». Maybe it's right from here that we should start. We should try to believe that when we eat the body of Jesus, we stay with him and we become like him. And his life is a wonderful life, even though is a hard life. Jesus was poor, at times ignored or else ridiculed by the crowds. But even when he was alone he was full of joy and love, totally free. If we do accept to become like him, our celebrations might become more beautiful, more attractive, full of Christians who see and taste «the goodness of the Lord».
Commenti