20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle B, Year II)

Community Word:Belief in Jesus Christ, our Living Bread, leads us to eternal life.

Theme: Our belief in the Living Bread inspires us to partake in the Holy Eucharist.

Promise: “… the one who feeds on me will have life.”(Jn 6:57b)

Reflection:
As Catholics, we believe that we receive Jesus Christ Himself as the Living Bread every time we received Holy Communion. It is in the Holy Eucharist that we become aware of who we are and to whom we truly belong. At the moment of Consecration, the miracle of transubstantiation – the turning of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, brings life to our beings and fortifies our relationship with Jesus. Jesus promises us: “…the one who feeds on me will have life,”(Jn 6:57b).

The liturgical readings for the 20thSunday in Ordinary Time invite us to “taste and experience the wisdom of the Lord.” In the 1streading, we gain true wisdom when we understand God’s ways. In Psalms,we are exhorted to join in praising God and be enriched from all that He gives us. St. Paul in the 2nd reading urges the Ephesians and us, too, to drink of the wisdom of the Holy Spirit rather than get drunk from alcoholic spirits. And in the gospel, Jesus tells the crowd that the true food and divine drink are His own Body and Blood which give us nourishment for eternal life.

Jesus wants everyone to come to Him and feed on Him in order that we will receive true understanding and wisdom. He promises to give His Real Presence to those who will accept Him and receive His Body and Blood. Jesus is our spiritual food in our journey towards God, our Father in heaven. He nourishes us in several ways: through His word – food for our souls, through His ministry – healing food for our bodies, and through His sacramental presence – our spiritual food. Jesus feeds us through our communion with Him and with all those who are also in communion with Him. Thus, we are all nourished as a community of believers who come to the Lord’s Table.

Receiving Jesus in the Holy Eucharist is receiving God’s wisdom that leads us to forsake our foolish and selfish ways. In Proverbs 9:6, it says: “Forsake foolishness that you may live.” St. Paul also tells the people of Ephesus: “….live, not as foolish persons but as wise,” (Eph 5:15b). We are reminded that we must live in the wisdom and understanding of God because the ways of the world are foolishness in God’s eyes. Being drunk in the Spirit leads us to a greater sense of community. All the Lord wants is for us to come to Him and receive His goodness, rather than to seek the perishable things in the world.

It is truly a humbling experience to know how much Jesus honors us by feeding us with His words, by His ministry, and most significantly with His Real Presence in the Eucharist. God’s love is perfectly demonstrated in giving us the best, in the person of His Son, Jesus. We only need to come to Jesus and take what He offers us – His very being. Our belief in the person of Jesus Christ as the Bread of Life then, allows us to partake in the Holy Communion. And when the host is presented us and the minister says: ‘The Body of Christ,’ our eager response is – ‘Amen! I receive Jesus and I believe in His Real Presence in me.’

Prayer:
Lord God, it is by Your goodness that You gave us the gift of Your Son, Jesus. His Real Presence nourishes us, not only physically but more importantly, spiritually. We are sorry for the times when we have instead chosen the “junk food” of this world that does not sustain us in our faith journey. Through Your Holy Spirit, we seek Your wisdom and understanding so that we can have a better grasp of the reality of the Eucharist, receiving Jesus in our hearts. Jesus, You are our Bread of Life that brings us to eternal life. Amen.

Reflection Questions:
1.What do I seek from the Lord as I receive Him in Holy Communion? How have I been nourished by Jesus?

2.In what ways can I reach out to those with whom I am in communion with?

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
Aug 19, 2018 (Sun)-Prv 9:1-6/Ps 34:2-7/Eph 5:15-20/Jn 6:51-58
Aug 20, 2018 (Mon)- Ez 24:15-24/Dt 32:18-21/Mt 19:16-22
Aug 21, 2018 (Tue)-Ez 28:1-10/Dt 32:26, 27, 28, 30, 35, 36/Mt 19:23-30
Aug 22, 2018 (Wed)- Ez 34:1-11/Ps 23:1-6/Mt 20:1-16
Aug 23, 2018 (Thu)-Ez 36:23-28/Ps 51:12-15, 18, 19/Mt 22:1-14
Aug 24, 2018 (Fri)-Rv 21:9-14/Ps 145:10-13, 17, 18/Jn 1:45-51
Aug 25, 2018 (Sat)- Ez 43:1-7/Ps 85:9-14/Mt 23:1-12

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”