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August 7, 2021Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time—August 8, 2021 1 Kings 19:4-8; Psalm 34:2-3,4-5,6-7,8-9; Ephesians 4:30- 5:2; John 6:41-51
As we continue to focus on the critical significance of Christ’s Real Presence, our readings encourage us to recognize that those who devote themselves to following Christ will have not only the prospects of eternal life in heaven but one of joy, hope and peace in this life. When it feels like the world is closing in around us, it can be challenging to take comfort in Jesus’ promises. When we are lonely, feeling rejected or abandoned we, like Elijah in the desert, can be tempted to give in or give up. God can seem far away and despair can take root. It is at these times that St. Paul urges us to not let ourselves get bogged down in negativity but instead to find a way to focus on the self-giving and other-centered model of Christ. It is in the Eucharist where we find Christ powerfully and abundantly. Jesus reminds us that He is the “bread that comes down from heaven” which strengthens our faith and nourishes our hearts and souls with hope and love.
The more we hold onto worldly comforts and focus on our miseries as did the Israelites in the desert, the more we will hunger and thirst and risk spiritual death. Yet when we believe in Jesus as the Bread of Life and turn our lives over to Him, we will be filled with hope and we can receive the strength and endurance we need to complete our return to the Father and the journey into everlasting life. Jesus promises us that in the Eucharist we receive His flesh, which is life for us and the whole world. It nourishes us with the graces we need to overcome the challenges of daily life and find our way to a deeper appreciation for the overwhelming love of God.
The next time you approach the altar, consider asking for the grace to take Jesus in and be sustained by His love and the grace needed to take on His loving example so that you may grow in your efforts to imitate Him more fully – the grace to become He whom we eat, flesh for the life of the world.
For further reflection on faith in Christ and the promise of eternal life, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 161-165; on the institution of the Eucharist, paragraphs 1337-1344; and on the Eucharist as source of our hope, paragraph 1405.- In the Second Reading, Paul reminds us that as God’s beloved children we are to strive to imitate Him. What does that say to me about God’s desire for my relationship with Christ?
- As Catholics we believe that, as a powerful source of grace, the Eucharist helps to both sustain us on our earthly journey and to transform us into imitators of Christ. What might I do to avail myself of these life giving graces on a more frequent basis? What holds me back? What graces do I most need at this time?
- Jesus reminds us that the gift of “bread sent down from heaven” is not for us alone but is intended for the “life of the world”. What can I do to carry Jesus’ life sustaining love into my family life? My community? My parish? The world?
