Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading
I
Prv 9:1-6
Wisdom has built her house,
she has set up her seven columns;
she has dressed her meat, mixed her wine,
yes, she has spread her table.
She has sent out her maidens; she calls
from the heights out over the city:
"Let whoever is simple turn in here;
To the one who lacks understanding, she says,
Come, eat of my food,
and drink of the wine I have mixed!
Forsake foolishness that you may live;
advance in the way of understanding."
Responsorial
Psalm
Ps 34:2-3, 10-11,
12-13, 14-15
R (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the Lord;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Glorify the Lord with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the Lord heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Eph
5:15-20
Brothers and sisters:
Watch carefully how you live,
not as foolish persons but as wise,
making the most of the opportunity,
because the days are evil.
Therefore, do not continue in ignorance,
but try to understand what is the will of the Lord.
And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery,
but be filled with the Spirit,
addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts,
giving thanks always and for everything
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.
Gospel
Jn 6:51-58
Jesus said to the crowds:
"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 quarreled among themselves, saying,
"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
Jesus said to them,
"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,
and I will raise him on the last day.
For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
remains in me and I in him.
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.
This is the bread that came down from heaven.
Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,
whoever eats this bread will live forever."
Commentary
Today’s First Reading describes the first of two banquets. The entire chapter (vv. 1-18) describes the invitation of the simple by both Wisdom and Folly. This open-ended invitation leads into chap. 10 which illustrates what each choice represents. Both Wisdom and Folly sit by the road and call out to people and both appeal especially to those who are simple; both offer a rich reward. However, Folly’s reward turns out to be poison and death while Wisdom gives life. Because Wisdom’s banquet requires a long period of learning, many are captivated by the quick and easy pleasure offered by Folly.
To better understand the Second Reading, it must be clear that the first readers of this letter were once Gentiles who have become followers of Christ and “children of the light” through Baptism. Thus, those who have been enlightened must also be wise and not continue to live as the foolish or pagan live. They should therefore avoid drunkenness because it hinders the process of discernment. Instead, they should be “filled with the Spirit”.
Today’s Gospel Reading presents us with the final section of the Bread of Life Discourse. There are three words that dominate this section:
Flesh – Blood – Eat
The parallel sayings about flesh and blood appear to represent a Eucharistic formula used in the Johannine community. Unlike the Eucharistic formulas found in the Synoptic Gospels and in the Pauline writings, the body of Christ is referred to with the word sarx, meaning “flesh”, instead of sōma, “body”.
In the previous section, Jesus gave nourishment to those who believed through wisdom and revelation but now the word “believe” is replaced with “eat” or “feed on”. It becomes clear that the writer is speaking of sacramental (Eucharistic) nourishment provided by the flesh and blood of Christ. Jesus is, like Moses, the giver of bread. Unlike Moses, however, Jesus is the bread of wisdom and revelation who nourishes all who come to him in faith. Finally, Jesus is the Eucharistic source of eternal life for all who eat and drink the flesh and blood of the heavenly and glorified Son of Man. Because John uses this Eucharistic material in the Bread of Life discourse, de does not mention the Eucharist in the Last Supper.
Reflection
The readings from the last three Sunday’s have been in preparation for today’s unmistakable Eucharistic readings. When we began this chapter of the Gospel of John, we were encouraged to put our faith, hope and trust in God. Later, we were challenged to live in faith, recognizing God’s presence in everything and told to hunger only for God and not for things of this world. Today, we are assured of eternal life if we remain in Jesus and he remains in us. What does this mean?
As children I’m sure many of us heard people say “you are what you eat”. If we eat junk-food our bodies are affected in a negative way whereas if we eat healthy foods we give our body what it needs to grow in strength and be able to combat disease. In other words, if we eat the right foods (healthy foods) we remain healthy. Here lies the problem for many us. We are seduced by sweets and high fat foods because they just taste so good and they’re so easy to give in to. Eating well, on the other hand, takes discipline and a strong will. In the same way, today’s readings warn us of the seductive banquet of life laid out for those without the wisdom to make good choices. Jesus offers the only good choice for those who seek life – himself.
If the saying from our childhood holds true, if we are what we eat, then those who feed on Jesus must become Jesus-like. When we participate of the Eucharistic banquet left to us by Jesus, we participate in Jesus’ entire life; his incarnation, life, passion, death, and resurrection. This means that we share in his submissive humility to his Father in heaven and his earthly parents as well – Mary and Joseph. We share in his life which was from the beginning a life of total surrender and service for others. He gave to all who would receive and received all who would come to him, never putting his needs before the needs of others. Through his passion and finally his death he gave all he had left – himself and through his resurrection gives eternal life.
If then we believe in this great mystery, we cannot approach the Eucharist and stand idle in the face of human suffering and injustice. We cannot receive the body of Christ and continue to live a life submerged in the seduction of the world. We must become Jesus-like and concern ourselves with living a life that reflects Christ. We who participate in the life of Christ contained in the Eucharist must feed the hungry, comfort the sick and afflicted, cloth the naked, and visit those who are imprisoned (not just behind iron bars but also those imprisoned by vices). As we approach this Sunday’s Eucharist, we must ask ourselves: am I becoming what I eat?
Biblical Sources
New American Bible; Brown, R. K., and Comfort, P. W. (trans.) and Douglas, J. D., (ed.) “The New Greek-English Interlinear New Testament”; United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; Camp, C. V., “Wisdom and the Feminine in the Book of Proverbs”; Lang, B., Wisdom and the Book of Proverbs”; Murphy, R. E., “Wisdom Literature”; Bruce, F. F., “The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians”; Swain, L., “Ephesians”; Sanchez-Bosch, Jordi, "Escritos Paulinos”; Alegre, X., y Tuñi, J. O., “Escritos Joánicos y Cartas Católicas”; Barrett, C. K., The Gospel According to John”; Brown, R. E., “The Community of the Beloved Disciple”; Schnackenburg, R., The Gospel According to St. John”; Segovia, F. F., “Love Relationships in the Johannine Tradition”; “The Collegeville Bible Commentary”; Brown, Raymond E., S.S., “Introduction to the New Testament”; Brown, Fitzmyer, and Murphy (ed.) “The New Jerome Biblical Commentary”.
Reflection
Deacon Lazaro J. Ulloa