Breaking the Word

3^rd week in Easter Time, Saturday – 7^th May 2022 — Gospel: Jn 6,60-69

Take Risk to be His Disciple

In the Gospel we find that the Word of God is spirit and life. Simon Peter, even though he has been impetuous and cowardly at times, but you can’t deny his deep love for Jesus. There were many disciples of Jesus but most of them found difficulty in accepting or believing His teachings on the bread of life. Even though many left him and went, but only twelve remained. Jesus asked the twelve whether they too wanted to return. Peter makes a deep assertion of his faith as well as the faith of the twelve on His Word.  Peter had no intention of walking away from his friendship, for he was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah. In one sense, Peter was being logical: where else could he go? Jesus was the only one whose words moved him, so it made sense to stay with him despite the teachings he couldn’t understand. But in another sense, Peter was speaking from conviction that went beyond human logic. His eyes had been opened and his reason was being infused with grace. He could have gone home and resumed his stable life of fisherman, but he decided instead to take a risk. Peter wished to risk everything on the Lord and so expressed his desire to remain with Jesus for his words.

3^rd week in Easter Time, Friday – 6^th May 2022 — Gospel: Jn 6,52-59

Participating in Wisdom

Four times in rapid succession Jesus speaks of the necessity of eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Jesus contrasts the Old Testament banquet, in which Wisdom offers the invitation to “eat of my bread and drink of the wine” (Prov 9,5), with the banquet of his own flesh and blood. This language of Jesus is shocking to his audience, for it implies cannibalism and is abhorrent to the Jewish mind (Lev 17,10-14). Jesus being the wisdom par excellence enacts the Old Testament wisdom by giving himself in the form of flesh and blood. Firstly, the result of a believer consuming his flesh and blood is mutual indwelling like that of wisdom: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and in them.” Secondly, to eat and drink of his very self is to participate fully in the mission and destiny of Jesus, i.e., wisdom drives forward. Thirdly, eating his flesh and drinking his blood is truly to be his disciple – in following him, believing in him, and giving oneself with him for the life of the world. Being united with Jesus, the embodiment of wisdom, we gain eternal life and victory over death (vv.51, 54, 58).