Corpus Christi Sunday Year A - 18/6/2017 - Gospel: Jn 6, 51-59
Sweat and labour
Sweat and labour that we are talking about doesn't come from fear, illness or burning heat of a day but it comes from the result of strenuous activity at daily work. Sometime it comes from the fear of being fired and the anxiety of applications being rejected. Employment is not just given a sense of self-worth but provides daily food and drink and other expenses.
What we consume daily at dining table is nutrition needed for our physical body and it becomes our own flesh and blood. The bread and wine offer at the offertory at the Eucharist are sweat and labour. Through our labour we extract them from the mother earth and vines to give thanks to God and also acknowledge the goodness from God's creation. Through prayers and the invocation of the Holy Spirit this physical gifts of love and life become the spiritual food and drink that nourish our spiritual body. It is the Holy Spirit that what we offer in the form of bread and wine are transformed into the real Body and Blood of Jesus. The exchange takes place which is hidden from any physical eyes and is beyond comprehension. We believe it because we believe in Jesus and love him. His is teaching is as follows:
I am the living bread which comes down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world Jn 6,51
Anything to do with the heavenly kingdom is not for our eyes to see but for the benefits of our faith and love for Jesus. Jesus taught that the Eucharist is his self emptying gift given to those who love him. This self gift is given freely, without condition applied and out of love for us and Jesus expects us to learn from him, to share what we have for others. St Paul in his letter to the Corinthian reminds us that we are one body in Christ who is the head of the body. As a part of that body, each of us has an obligation to care for the rest of the body. We are connected to each other through Christ.
The blessing cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. The fact that there is only one loaf of bread means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf. 1 Cor 10,16-17.
We can feed others with earthly food and drink; God alone has the power to offer heavenly food and drink and those who consume it with love; God will give them eternal life to live in God's kingdom forever.
Some people find that the hardship of finding enough food to feed family each day takes over the sacrifices of earning the food while others find that food and drink are abundant and in plenty that they not only waste the food and also forget to give thanks to God for his goodness. We Christians should always remember that without God we are nothing and should live a life of gratitude towards God.
What we consume daily at dining table is nutrition needed for our physical body and it becomes our own flesh and blood. The bread and wine offer at the offertory at the Eucharist are sweat and labour. Through our labour we extract them from the mother earth and vines to give thanks to God and also acknowledge the goodness from God's creation. Through prayers and the invocation of the Holy Spirit this physical gifts of love and life become the spiritual food and drink that nourish our spiritual body. It is the Holy Spirit that what we offer in the form of bread and wine are transformed into the real Body and Blood of Jesus. The exchange takes place which is hidden from any physical eyes and is beyond comprehension. We believe it because we believe in Jesus and love him. His is teaching is as follows:
I am the living bread which comes down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world Jn 6,51
Anything to do with the heavenly kingdom is not for our eyes to see but for the benefits of our faith and love for Jesus. Jesus taught that the Eucharist is his self emptying gift given to those who love him. This self gift is given freely, without condition applied and out of love for us and Jesus expects us to learn from him, to share what we have for others. St Paul in his letter to the Corinthian reminds us that we are one body in Christ who is the head of the body. As a part of that body, each of us has an obligation to care for the rest of the body. We are connected to each other through Christ.
The blessing cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. The fact that there is only one loaf of bread means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf. 1 Cor 10,16-17.
We can feed others with earthly food and drink; God alone has the power to offer heavenly food and drink and those who consume it with love; God will give them eternal life to live in God's kingdom forever.
Some people find that the hardship of finding enough food to feed family each day takes over the sacrifices of earning the food while others find that food and drink are abundant and in plenty that they not only waste the food and also forget to give thanks to God for his goodness. We Christians should always remember that without God we are nothing and should live a life of gratitude towards God.
Written by Fr Vũđình Tường
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia