Hard Saying

Many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.”

Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.”

As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”  Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:60-69)

What saying is hard, according to Jesus’ disciples?  We find it in the preceding verses that read: Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?” 

Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. (John 6:49-59)

We eat his flesh and drink his blood.  What does this mean?  Perhaps what the priest or deacon says when pouring some water into the chalice with wine before its consecration provides a clue.  We say: “By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity.”  

Father Richard Rohr offers this view: We daringly believe that God’s presence was poured into a single human being, so that humanity and divinity can be seen to be operating as one in him – and therefore, in us! But instead of saying that God came into the world through Jesus, maybe it would be better to say that Jesus came out of an already Christ-soaked world.” In other words, we share in the divinity of Christ. 

And, God comes into the world through us!  We are the body and blood of Christ, and when we receive Eucharist, that awareness must be heightened.  When a minister raises the host and says: “The Body of Christ,” it is a not-so-subtle way of telling the recipient: “You are the body of Christ.  You are his flesh and blood.  You are Jesus’ flesh for the life of the world.”  Now that is some awesome understanding and life-long Catholic commitment to do what is right and just.  It is a "hard saying" we all accept, although not without some struggle.  Some of us choose to leave.  Many of us, like Peter, remain because we hear the words of eternal life.

Deacon David Pierce