Twentieth Sunday -Ordinary time
August 20, 2006

Proverbs 9:1‑-6 Psalm: 34 Ephesians 5:15‑-20 John 6:51‑-58

Come, eat of my bread and drink the wine mixed for you

1. Last week I went to a Filipino House warming. This family is poor but had managed to scrape together enough to put a down payment on a condominium. There was food and drink in plenty like our first reading. When I asked curiously, how much would a House Warming like this cost, the wife said Oh between $800 and $1000! I gasped. Although the expense might be a little reckless, I could not help noting two things:

the generosity of spirit

the love for companionship and conviviality: sharing food and drink.

It is not surprising therefore that this community finds it easy to love the Eucharist and they celebrate it naturally.

Unfortunately the next generation is drawn to McDonald, Burger King and Pizza Pizza. Fast food, which they eat not for nourishment, but just to stave off hunger is the custom today. When they eat this Fast Food they eat it while watching TV or listening to their friends. There is neither time nor space nor occasion to share with family and friends. As a result, the Eucharist often becomes “let’s go to church and get it over with !”

Listening to the First reading from the Book of Proverbs, I think this passage must be the Filipino’s favourite passage as Wisdom invites one and all to come and Eat of my bread and drink the wine mixed for you. Wisdom has built a house and now there is a need of House Warming and a celebration.

2. Our Responsorial Psalm picks up the same theme as it tells us: “Taste and see Goodness of the Lord.” It has been a response for the five Sundays as long as we read from the sixth chapter of John. But to Taste we must

take the time

make the space

avoid haste and hurry.

While the First reading speaks of Wisdom, the Second reading in contrast has to deal with Folly. Folly does not have the Time, but wastes it frivolously. It wastes it in not making Space, but in being spaced out with outrageous drinking and mind bending intoxicants.

3. Both Wisdom and Folly are a backdrop to the teaching of Jesus in the Gospel. Reginald Fuller, (the famous Anglican Scipture scholar) calls this passage: (vs 51-58) as the Eucharistic Part of the whole sixth chapter. There is a call to move from the Ordinary elements of Bread to the flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ. This is the same Word of God that became Flesh and dwelt among us. John tell us in the First Chapter of the Gospel, “the Word of God was among us and those who received the Word were given the Power to become Children of God.” Now in the sixth Chapter, Jesus invites us to Eat the Bread of Life. Jesus invites us to partake in the Word of God who became flesh and dwelt among us.

Scholars general agree that “Eat my flesh and Drink my blood” was a later addition by an Editor (Redactor) whereas the original writing of John was a discourse, a meditation, a reflection on the Meal and Fellowship. This second addition is a discourse, a meditation a reflection on the Eucharist itself.

The Scholars think that the Editor (Redactor) thought that John stressed the Incarnation, the Word becoming Flesh and did not do justice to the suffering, the Cross. Now he thinks that John emphasized the meal and fellowship and did not do justice to the Eucharist. It is for this reason he adds “Eat my flesh, and Drink my blood.” This sharing, this partaking is the instrument of the saving effect in our lives. We are told, “you shall live forever.” - if we eat of the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink of his blood.

However, the choice will always be ours. It will not be forced on us. Moses gave the Israelites the option, “choose life or choose death.” Jesus gives us the same option. As the teenagers would say, “the choice is a no-brainer.” However, we might have the same difficulty as the people who first heard this message. Our response might be, “how can this man do this” and they no longer walked with Jesus. For us to partake of the Bread of Life, we have also to share in the Cross and Resurrection. The resurrection is the easily acceptable part, it is the Cross that often makes us say, “we will no longer walk with the man from Galilee.”