Holy Trinity of Love

06-11-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Stanislaus Okonkwo

Today, we celebrate the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. We celebrate Christ’s great gift of himself to abide with us forever. The sacred body and blood of Christ is our viaticum (our companion for the journey). The Lord feeds us with heavenly food to strengthen us in our pilgrimage to the kingdom of God. It is the assurance of life eternal for Jesus says “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day” (Jn 6:54). His flesh is indeed real food (Jn 6:55).

In the first reading, the people of God had a taste of heavenly food–manna from heaven, which prefigures the real abiding heavenly food that Jesus will make of his body and blood at the last supper (Matt 26:26-30). As the people were about to settle into the Promised Land, Moses warns them not to forsake the Lord if they want to live long and peacefully in the land. He reminds them of how the Lord fed them on the way for the entire 40 years of their journey. This national memory should serve as a reason for their fidelity to God (Deut 8: 2-3). Manna was a divine gift, the source of which the people did not know so that they may learn to trust and depend solely on the Lord as their provider (Deut 8:3). But manna was food just for the desert journey because it ceased once the people settled and started harvesting their own food (Josh 5:12). It was however, only a prefiguration of the greatest heavenly food that was still to come when Jesus gives his own body both as an expiation sacrifice and also as real divine food to lead us in the journey to the eternal promised land-heaven. Manna was an imperfect example of the heavenly food which the Eucharist is full perfection of.

Nevertheless, when Jesus reveals himself (“my flesh”) as the real heavenly food-“the living bread that has come down from heaven”, and that it is necessary for eternal life –“Whoever eats this bread will live forever” (Jn 6:51), the people were disconcerted. They understood him literally and considered his claim offensive and incredible. They knew his mortal human parents and could not understand why he claims to be the bread from heaven and how his flesh can confer immortality.

Remember that this discussion was happening right after Jesus had fed the five thousand with five barley loaves and two fish (Jn 6:1-13). It was such an amazing miracle and fell into the people’s expectations of Jesus as the awaited Messiah. Hence, they were overjoyed and wanted to take Jesus and crown him at once (so that he will remain a food providing messiah), but he withdrew and went to pray (Jn 6:14-15). The people found him the next day and started luring him into performing the same miracle again, reminding him how their ancestors were given manna in the desert (Jn 6:25-31). Our Lord does not succumb to their blackmail rather he points their minds to the bigger picture, the higher prize, the better food, the real heavenly food, more potent than the ordinary manna/bread they were seeking. Can you see how God often acts with us! Often, he does not give us just what we ask, instead he gives us what we need because he knows our story more then we can ever know. He understands our want but knows our true needs. He was saying to them, just as he is saying to you right now: “Just trust me! I know what is better for you! That manna you are asking and praying for will only satisfy your immediate desire but I have something better that will not only assuage your present hunger but will also lead you to everlasting happiness. Let us therefore, trust the Lord, let us break and eat the one bread, bless and drink the one cup in communion with each other and with the Lord (1 Cor 10:16-17). For when we do so, we observe the command of the Lord, proclaim his death, and profess his resurrection until he comes again. This is our Eucharist. What therefore is preventing you from partaking of it regularly? What in this world, what earthly manna are you forfeiting it for? Is it worth it?

May the body and blood of Christ bring us to life everlasting!

Happy Corpus Christi to you!

Fr. Stan