Homily for 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle B)
Based
on Jn 6:51-58 (Gospel), Pr 9:1-6 (First Reading) and Ep 5:15-20 (Second
Reading)
From the Series: “Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”
EUCHARIST – A BANQUET OF WISDOM
Today’s gospel reading is taken from Jn 6:51-58 (This scripture is a later interpolation).
Verse 51 says:
I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone one who eats this
bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh,n for
the life of the world.’o Footnote n says: “Add ‘that I shall give’; the phrase is, in any case, to be understood”;
and Footnote o states that “Jesus
is the true bread because he is God’s Word, vv. 32f, and also because he is a
victim whose body and blood are offered in sacrifice for the life of the world,
vv. 51-58, cf. 6:22+. The word ‘flesh’ suggests a connection between the
Eucharist and incarnation: the Word made flesh, 1:14, is the food of man.”
Parallel texts are:
a.
Is 25:6 - On
this mountain,c Yahweh Sabaoth will prepare for all peoples a
banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines, of food rich and juicy, of fine
strained wines. Footnote c - Zion.
b.
Mt 26:26 – 29 - Now as they were eating,f
Jesus took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave
it to the disciples. He said, ‘Take it and eat; this is my body’ (v. 26). Then
he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them. He said,
‘Drink all of you from this (v. 27). For this is my blood, the blood of theg
covenant, which is to be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sinsh(v.
28). From now on, I tell you, I shall not drink wine until the day I drink the
new wine with you in the kingdom of my Fatheri (v. 29)’. Footnotefsays:
“They have come to the Passover supper
itself. The rubrics for this solemn blessing of bread and wine are laid down
exactly; on to this ceremony Jesus grafts the sacramental rites of the new
religious order of things which he institutes”;Footnoteg states
that ‘Add (Vulg.) ‘new’, cf. Lk 22:20; 1
Co 11:25”; Footnoteh says
“As at Sinai, the blood of victims sealed
the covenant of Yahweh with his people, Ex.
24:4-8+, so on the cross the blood of Jesus, the perfect victim, is about to
seal the ‘new’ covenant, cf. Lk. 22:20, between
God and man - the covenant foretold by the prophets, Jr 31:31+. Jesus
takes on himself the task of universal redemption that Isaiah assigns to the
‘servant of Yahweh’, Is. 42:6; 49:6; 53:12, cf. 41:8+. Cf. Heb 8:8; 9:15;
12:24”; Footnote i says:
“Allusion to the eschatological banquet,
cf. 8:11; 22:1f. Jesus and his disciples will never meet at table again.”
c.
Lk 22:19p
- Then he took some bread and
when he had given thanks, broke it and gave it to them saying, ‘This is my body
which will be given for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ (v. 19). He did the
same with the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my
blood which will be poured out for you.h (v. 20). Footnoteh
says: “Or alternatively ‘which has
to be given’ and ‘which has to be poured out’.”
d.
1 Co 11:24 - and thanked God for it and broke
it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you;i do this as a
memorial of me. FootnoteI says
“Var. ‘This is my body, broken for you.’”
Verse 52 and 53 say: Then the Jews started arguing with one another: ‘How can this man give
us his flesh to eat?’ they said. Jesus replied: ‘I tell you most solemnly, if
you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not
have life in you.
Parallel texts are:
a. Jn
1:14 - The word was made flesh, m
he lived among us, n and we saw his glory,o the glory
that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Footnote m says:
“The ‘flesh’ is man considered as
a frail and mortal being, cf. 3:6, 17:2, Gn 6:3, Ps. 56:4, Is 40:6,see Rm 7:5+”;
Footnote n says: “”Add ‘that I shall give”; the prahse is, in
any case, to be understood”: and Footnote o-says:
“The ‘glory’ is the manifestation of
God’s presence, Ex. 24:16+. No one could see its brilliance and live, Ex
33:20+, but the human nature of the word
now screens this glory as the cloud once did. Yet at times it pierces the veil, as the transfiguration,
for instances, cf. Lk. 9:32, 35 (alluded to in Jn 1:14?) and when Jesus works
miracles –‘signs’ that God is active in him, 2:11+, 11:40;cf. Ex. 14:24-27 and
15:7, 16:7f. The resurrection will
reveal the glory fully, cf. Jn 17:5+”.
b. Mt
8:20 - Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes
and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Manh has nowhere
to lay his head.’Footnoteh says: “With the exception of Ac 7:56, Rv 1:13; 14:14; this title appears only
in the gospels. There is no doubt that
Jesus used it of himself, and indeed preferred it to others. At times he uses
it to express his lowly state, 8:20; 11:19; 20:28, especially the humiliation
of the Passion, 17:22, etc. At others times it is used to proclaim the
definitive triumph of his resurrection, 17:9, of his return in glory, 24:30; of
his coming in judgment, 25:31. That this title, Aramaic in flavor, could bring
together these seemingly opposed qualities is clear from the following
considerations. The phrase originally meant ‘man’, Ezk. 2:1+, and by reason of
its unusual and indirect form it underlined the lowliness of man’s state. But
the title suggested glory, too. It was used in Dn 7:13+, and later in the
Jewish apocalyptic Book of Enoch, to indicate the transcendent figure, heavenly
in origin, who was to receive from God’s hand the eschatological kingdom (the
kingdom ‘at the end of times’). In this way therefore the title both veiled and
hinted at (cf. Mk. 1:34+; Mt. 13:13+) the sort of Messiah Jesus was. Moreover,
the explicit avowal in the presence of the Sanhedrin, 26:64+, should have
removed all ambiguity.”
Verse 54 says: Anyone
who does eat my flesh and drink my blood
has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day.
Parallel text is Is 25:6 that says:
On this mountain,c
Yahweh Sabaoth will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food, a banquet
of fine wines, of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines. Footnote c
- Zion
Verses 55 and 56 say: For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. He who eats my
flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him.
Parallel text is Jn 15:4-5 that says: Make your
home in me, as I make mine in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself,
but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me (v.
4). I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him,
bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing (v. 5).
Verses 57 and 58 say: As I,
who am sent by the living Father, myself draw life from the Father, so whoever
eats me will draw life from me.p This is the bread come down from
heaven; not like the bread our ancestors ate;q they are dead, but
anyone who eats this bread will live forever. Footnotep says“The life that the Father communicates to the
Son passes to the faithful through the Eucharist.”Footnoteq
states: “ Add. ‘the manna’ or ‘in the
desert’.”
The First Reading for this Sunday is Pr 9:1-6.
Verse 1 and 2 say: Wisdom has built herself a house, she has erecteda her seven
pillars, she has slaughtered her beasts, prepared her wine, she has laid her
table. Footnote a - ‘erected’ Greek.
Parallel text for verse 1 is Mt 22:1-4 that says: Parable of the wedding feasta.
Jesus began to speak to them in parables once again (v. 1), ‘The kingdom of
heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son’s wedding (v. 2).
He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not
come (v. 3). Next he sent some more servants, “Tell those who had been invited”
he said ‘that I have my banquet all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have
been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding.” (v. 4) Footnote a says: “A parable with allegorical features; in
this, as in the lesson it teaches, it resembles the one that precedes it. The
king is God; the wedding feast is the happiness of the messianic age and the
king’s son the Messiah; those sent with the invitation are the prophets and the
apostles; the invited who ignore them and do them violence are the Jews; those
called from the streets are the sinners and the pagans.”
Verse 3 and 4 says: She has
dispatched her maidservants and proclaimed from the city’s heights. ‘Who is
ignorant? Let him step this way.’ To the fool she says…
Parallel text is Pr 1:20 that says: Wisdom calls about in the streets,d
she raises her voicee in the public squares. Footnote d – ‘in the streets’
Greek; ‘Such is the way’ Hebr; and Footnote e – Wisdom personified,
cf. 8:22+, acts like a prophets, cf. Jr. 5:1, walking through the streets and
urging her doctrine on the people.
Verse 5 and 6 say:
‘Come and eat my bread, drink the
wine I have prepared! Leave your folly and you will live, walk in the ways of
perception’.
Parallel texts are:
a.
Si 15:3 - She will give him the bread of
understanding to eat, and the water of wisdom to drink.
b.
Si 24:19-21 - Approach me, you who desire me,
and take your fill of my fruits (v. 19), for memories of me are sweeter than
honey, inheriting me is sweeter than the honeycomb (v. 20). They who eat me
will hunger for more, they who drink me will thirst for more (v. 21).
c.
Is 55:1-3 - Oh,
come to the water all who are thirsty; though you have not money, come! Buy
corn without money, and eat,a and, at no cost, wine and milk (v. 1).
Why spend money on what is not bread, your wages on what fails to satisfy?
Listen, listen to me and you will have good things to eat and rich food to
enjoy (v. 2). Pay attention, come to me; listen, and your soul will live. With
you I will make an everlasting covenantb out of the favors promised
to David (v. 3). Footnote a says “Hebr. adds ‘come and buy’ absent from Greek and DSIa”; Footnoteb
says “On this everlasting covenant,
59:21; 61:8, which is also the new covenant, see Jr 31:31+.”
d.
Mt 5:6 - Happy
those who hunger and thirsty for what is right; they shall be satisfied.
e.
Jn 6:35 - Jesus
answered: ‘I ami the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be
hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst.j Footnote
i says “The Greek phrase ego eimi
recalls the name that God revealed to Moses, Ex 3:14+, cf. Jn 8:24+, but here
(and frequently elsewhere) it also forms the prelude to the explanation of a
parable. In this case the parable is not in words but in action: the gift of
the manna and the multiplication of the loaves are explained as parables of
Christ’s gift of himself, the true bread”; Footnotej says “As Wisdom invites man to her table, Pr.
9:1f, so does Jesus. Jn sees him as the Wisdom of God which, in the OT
revelation, was already moving towards personification, cf. 1:1+. This
perception springs from Christ’s own teaching already recorded in the
Synoptics, Mt 11:19; Lk 11:31p, but given here much more clearly by Jn. Tus,
Christ’s origin is mysterious, Jn 7:27-29; 8:14,19; cf. Jb 28:20-28; he alone
knows the secrets of God and reveals them to man, 3:11-12,31-32; cf. Mt
11:25-27p; Ws 9:13-18; Ba 3:29-38; he is the living bread that supremely
satisfies, 6:35; cf. Pr 9:1-6; Si 24:19-22, if men will only come to him,
3:20,21; 5:40; 6:35,37,44,65; 7:37; cf. Pr 9:4-5; Si 24:19; Mt 11:28; but they
must seek him before it is too late, 7:34; 8:21; cf. Pr 1:28. Cf. also Is.
55:1-3. For Paul’s teaching, cf. 1 Co 1:24+.”
The Second Reading for this Sunday isEp 5:15-20.
Verses 15 and 16 say: So be very careful about the sort of lives you lead, like intelligent
and not like senseless people. This may be a wicked age, but your lives should
redeem it.
Parallel text is Col 4:5 that says: “Be tactful with those who are not Christian
and be sure you make the best use of your time with them.”
Verse 17
says: And do not be thoughtless
but recognize what is the will of the Lord.
Parallel text is Col 1:9 that says: That will explain why, ever since the day
he told us, we have never failed to pray for you, and we ask God is that
through perfect wisdom and spiritual understanding you should reach the fullest
knowledge of his will.
Verses 18 , 19 and 20 say: Do not drug yourselves with wine, this is simply dissipation: be filled
with the Spirit. Sing the words and tunes of the psalms and hymns when you are
together, and go on singing and chanting to the Lord in your hearts, so that
always and everywhere you are giving thanks to God who is our Father in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Parallel texts for verse 18 are:
a.
Pr 23:31 - Never relish how red it is, this
wine, how sparkling in the cup, how smooth it flows.
b.
Col 3:16-17 - Let the message of Christ,g
in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other and advice each
other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and
inspired songs to God;h (v. 16) and never say or do anything except
in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (v.
17). Footnote g – Var. ‘of
the Lord’, or ‘of God’ possibly the text originally read ‘the Word’, cf. Ph
1:4; 2:30; and Footnote h – ‘These ‘inspired songs’ could be
charismatic improvisations suggested by the Spirit during liturgical assembly;
cf. 1 Co 12:7f; 14:26.
Parallel text for verse 20 is 1
Th 5:18 that says: …and for all things
give thanks to God, because this is what God expects you to do in Christ Jesus.
“Flesh, blood: When Jesus declares, “The
bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world,” the Jews
“murmur” in unbelief. Their revulsion is complete when Jesus speaks about his
blood as true drink. Literal drinking of blood was prohibited in Judaism and
perhaps in early Christianity (Gn 9:4; Acts 15:29). The Jews cannot go beyond the
physical, and so misunderstand Jesus’ promise. …“Later, the believers will have
to ask: Where do we encounter the revelation of God in the flesh and blood of
the Son of Man? How can we partake of his flesh and blood? The evangelist’s
insinuation of the Eucharistic language in Jesus’ discourse on the bread of
life provides an answer: one encounters the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ in
the Eucharistic celebration.
An online article “Eucharist” (from Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia):
“The Eucharist,
also called Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a sacrament
accepted by almost all Christians. It is reenacted in accordance with Jesus'
instruction at the Last Supper, as recorded in several books of the New
Testament, that his followers do in remembrance of him as when he gave his
disciples bread, saying, "This is my body", and gave them wine
saying, "This is my blood."
“The Greek noun “Eucharist:
εὐχαριστία
(eucharistia),” meaning "thanksgiving," is not used in the New
Testament as a name for the rite,[4] however, the related verb is found in New
Testament accounts of the Last Supper,[5][6][7] including the earliest such
account:[4]
“For I received
from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and
said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of
me". (1 Corinthians 11:23-24)
“The term
"Eucharist" (thanksgiving) is that by which the rite is referred by
the Didache (late 1st or early 2nd century), Ignatius of Antioch (who died
between 98 and 117) and Justin Martyr (writing between 147 and 167).[9][11][14]
Today, "the Eucharist" is the name still used by Eastern Orthodox,
Oriental Orthodox, Catholics, Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Lutherans. Other
Protestant denominations rarely use this term, preferring either
"Communion", "the Lord's Supper", or "the Breaking of
Bread".
“This term, “The
Lord's Supper” (Κυριακὸν
δεῖπνον),
is a name used in the early 50s of the first century as witnessed by the First
Epistle to the Corinthians (11:20-21):
“When you come
together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes
ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk.
“The Last Supper
appears in all three Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It also is
found in the First Epistle to the Corinthians,which suggests how early
Christians celebrated what Paul the Apostle called the Lord's Supper.
“In his First
Epistle to the Corinthians (c 54-55), Paul the Apostle gives the earliest
recorded description of Jesus' Last Supper: "The Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and
said, 'This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. ‘In the
same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new
covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of
me'".[1 Cor. 11:23-25]
“The synoptic
gospels, Mark 14:22-25, Matthew 26:26-29, Luke 22:13-20, depict Jesus as
presiding over the Last Supper. References to Jesus' body and blood foreshadow
his crucifixion, and he identifies them as a new covenant. In the gospel of
John, the account of the Last Supper has no mention of Jesus taking bread and
"the cup" and speaking of them as his body and blood; instead it
recounts his humble act of washing the disciples' feet, the prophecy of the
betrayal, which set in motion the events that would lead to the cross, and his
long discourse in response to some questions posed by his followers, in which
he went on to speak of the importance of the unity of the disciples with him
and each other.
“In John 6:26-65,
the evangelist attributes a long discourse to Jesus which deals with the
subject of the living bread and in verses 52-59 contains echoes of Eucharistic
language. The interpretation of the whole passage has been extensively debated.
Hoskyns notes (that) the language is metaphorical and verse 63: "The
Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to
you—they are full of the Spirit" and life" gives the author's precise
meaning.”
“The expression
The Lord's Supper, derived from St. Paul's usage in 1 Cor. 11:17-34, may have
originally referred to the Agape feast (or love feast), the shared communal
meal with which the Eucharist was originally associated.[23] The Agape feast is
mentioned in Jude 12. But The Lord's Supper is now commonly used in reference
to a celebration involving no food other than the sacramental bread and wine. The
bread and wine become the means by which the believer has real communion with
Christ in his death and Christ's body and blood are present to the faith of the
believer as really as the bread and wine are present to their senses but this
presence is "spiritual", that is the work of the Holy Spirit.
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