Christ is Risen!
In the Gospel reading for the Monday of the week of the Samaritan Woman (John 6:56-69), we find the Lord's disciples (some of them) being scandalized by His teaching. What is this teaching that is so divisive?
He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
The Lord's words prefigure the Eucharist. The Holy Church has fed on our Lord's Body and Blood for 2000 years, and It continues to nourish the faithful, and will continue to do so until the Lord's return.
His promise to those around Him (and through them, to us) is that if we are partakers of His Body and Blood, we become partakers of eternal life.
St. John records, "Many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, 'This is a hard saying; who can understand it?' Our Lord, knowing all things, said to these same disciples,
Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.
Ponder our Lord's words! The Spirit gives life! The flesh profits nothing!! The Lord's words are Spirit and life!!!
READING, STUDYING, LEARNING SCRIPTURE IS OUR LIFE!!!
St. John Chrysostom teaches, "The Holy Spritures were not given to us that we should enclose them in books, but that we should engrave them upon our hearts." We are to clothe our hearts with the Word of God. We are to carry with us the Words of life, for embracing those words, and living according to their instruction, is the path to eternal life.
St. John says about the unbelieving disciples above, "From that time many if His disciples went back and walked with Him no more." Unbelief leads to separation from God!
Jesus then asks His twelve, Do you also want to go away?
It is St. Peter who speaks for the group. "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
A critical piece of the above - We BELIEVE and we KNOW.
Let us, like the Apostles, believe and know. For like them, we have seen, we are witnesses of our Lord's compassion, His mercy, His suffering, death and resurrection, and we have received the Heavenly Spirit confirming and fulfilling our faith.
Indeed, He is Risen!
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