TRUE LOVE IS MAD AND SIGHTLESS

You would expect a question similar to that asked by the Jews, to come out of the lips of a person living in the 21st century, when that particular ‘person’ is not enlightened by Faith; “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” But if this passages speaks in a language, and moves in a world of ideas which are quite strange to us today, yet for those who heard it first, was a familiar idea, which went back to very childhood of their race.

These ideas were quite normal to anyone brought up in ancient sacrifices. During the sacrificial rite, some of the flesh of the victim was offered to the god. And once the flesh was offered and accepted by the god, it was believed that the ‘god’ had entered into it. Consequently when the worshipers were eating the flesh of the sacrificial animal, they were participating, eating of that particular ‘god’ himself, and becoming one with him.

We should keep in mind that John is here doing what he so often did. He is not trying to give us the ‘actual’ words spoken by Jesus, but led by the Holy Spirit, he is giving us the ‘inner significance’ of the words. Christ’s message through John is … ‘if you want life you must come and sit at the table where you can eat that broken bread and drink that poured wine, which through the grace of God, bring you in contact, makes you one with God Himself, and the life of Jesus Christ.’

John is producing a ‘flashback’ to the ‘Last Supper’, in the Upper Room, which he did not record in his Gospel version, but here we have the teachings about it. Undoubtedly, apart from this very special meal, which we celebrate and participate in, during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, during which the bread and wine will be changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus, John is implying something else. He is implying that for every true Christian, every meal should be sacred and holy, be it in a humble tent, pitched in the desert, in a rich palace, or under a canopy of stars on the grass in an open space.

John was conversant with the Jewish traditions and beliefs. For every household to have the daily bread meant God’s blessings and providence; that blessing would then be multiplied, and be more pleasing in the sight of God, if that bread was shared with any guest, be it a stranger or a friend.

John expands the ‘Sacrament’, so that we find Christ at His table at church, and then go out to find Him everywhere, where men and women meet and together enjoy and share the gifts of God. After having participated in the Holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist, and partook of the Christ Himself, in the Sacrament of Holy communion, we should go out in the world and carry Christ with us, and BE witnesses of God Himself.