Body and Blood

John 6.52-59

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’ He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.


Reflection

Talk about a loaded passage! Filled with meaning, these verses point us to the heart of the eucharist: the new life we experience in Christ.


These words, though, are loaded for another reason. Misunderstood by their neighbors, Christians were accused of drinking human blood and eating human flesh as part of their rituals. In one of the ugliest ironies of history, Christians, who were persecuted on account of this blood libel, would level similar charges against Jewish communities once they had become the majority. The blood libel haunts the church and all who proclaim Christ to this day. Followers of the Prince of Peace should be sharing Good News, not spreading deadly lies yet all too often, claiming to act in Jesus’ name, have done the latter.


As we contemplate this history during Lent we are reminded of the words of the Old Testament, “I was once a stranger.” As much as we might feel like insiders, we should never forget that in some way, we are outsiders. As secure and confident as we may feel, humility is called all of our dealings with God and with our brothers and sisters. Only then can we truly appreciate the bread and wine brought to us by Christ.

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