It is my flesh for the life of the world

At 8,26-40; Ps 65; Jn 6,44-51
9 MAY

The Eucharist is the true body, true flesh and true blood of Christ. They are body and blood in which the sacrifice of the redemption of humanity is accomplished. The words of its institution do not allow any allegorical and symbolic meaning. It is very pure reality. The flesh is real flesh. The body true body. The blood true blood.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father” (Mt 26,26-29). While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God” (Mk 14,22-25). Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you (Lk 22,19-20).

Saint Paul reminds the Corinthians of the truth and reality of the body and blood of the Lord. If the Eucharist is aimed at making all the members of the body live together in a spiritual and real communion, he asks that the end be respected by all. We cannot share or make communion with the body of Christ unless we create an effective, real, spiritual and material communion among the members of the one body. One cannot leave the Lord’s Supper drunk and the other without even having tasted a crumb.

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself (1Cor 11,23-29).

In the Gospel according to John, the Holy Spirit provides that no one, not even the most ill-intentioned, can give to the Eucharist a meaning that is not but just the affirmation of its truest and most holy reality. The bread that Jesus gives is his flesh. Whoever eats the flesh of the Son of man is filled with the whole life of Christ that is the most pure truth, holiness, justice, peace, forgiveness, reconciliation, charity and compassion.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: ‘They shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. 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.”

It is very evident that if one does not believe in Christ, sent by the Father, one does not believe in his Word which is of eternal life, one does not believe in his omnipotence that can nourish the whole world with his body, he might never believe in truth and reality of the Eucharist. One can even not believe in the Eucharist. However, the historical truth remains. Who feeds on it, he enters a process of life and governs every sin. The others remain in death.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints ensure that we always respect the truth and purpose of the Eucharist.