The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” John 6:56
Today’s Gospel reading ranks among the most difficult passages in the entire Bible. Jesus tells us that we must eat his flesh and drink his blood to have eternal life. When the crowd questions this teaching, we might expect Jesus to soften his language or explain that he means this symbolically. Instead, Jesus does the opposite. In the original Greek, Jesus begins the Bread of Life Discourse by using the verb φαγεῖν (phagein), which means “to eat.” However, after the crowd begins to question Jesus, he switches to the more visceral verb τρώγειν (trōgein) for the remainder of the discourse. τρώγειν refers to the way an animal eats: “to chomp” or “to gnaw.” Jesus emphasizes the physical act of chewing because he is truly giving us his physical flesh and blood, not just a symbol. In the Eucharist, Christ is truly present under the appearance of bread and wine.
Reflection by Br. Augustine Kroeze, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections