Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fed to Feed

Gracious and loving God, we hunger. Nourish us. You are the Bread of Life. As we reflect on your Word, fill us with your Spirit, that we may embody the true essence of the Eucharist, becoming living bread for others we encounter.

Share a time when you felt depleted, what fed you? Who feeds or nourishes your spirit? How does he or she do it?

Fr. Mike Snyder, MM giving communion in Tanzania

One year, on the feast of Corpus Christi, it had been a busy day. In Tanzania there is not only Mass, but a long procession outside carrying the Blessed Sacrament. Father Mike Synder, M.M., wasn’t able to leave church until dusk and just as he was leaving some students came asking if he could visit one of the wards where an elderly woman was asking to receive Communion. So, off they went. As they entered the ward, visiting hours were over, so things were very quiet. Patients were settling in for sleep. The woman they came to visit was sitting in the bed. She was a slight woman with white hair, the image of a typical Tanzanian grandmother. She had fallen at home and broken her hip. When she saw Father Mike coming from the distance she raised her voice: “I knew you would come. Today is the feast of the Holy Eucharist and I knew that you would bring me Jesus.” She began to sing an old song in Swahili (originally a Latin song) about the Body & Blood of Christ. Father Mike gave her Communion and all the patients in the ward asked to receive it. For those who weren’t Christians he prayed and gave them a blessing. Despite all of their problems and discomfort, there was much joy during these precious moments as they all sang and rejoiced. Even the nurses in the ward took notice and came to the old woman’s bedside to join them in prayer and blessing.

Jesus said to the crowds: “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.” Jn 6:51-58

In this reading the word flesh is used six times. As Christians, we know that the life giving bread that comes from heaven is the Eucharist. It is what truly nourishes the spirit and links our human condition to our divine source of life. But the insistence of the evangelist in using this language of flesh and blood makes it clear that the food is not only spiritual. The Eucharist brings us into communion not only with God, but also with each other. We are fed so that we can feed others in our home and workplace, in our personal lives and in public. By serving others we ensure that the spirituality of faith is always incarnate in flesh and blood.

How does receiving communion at the Eucharistic table help you and your community become more empowered to serve others as a missionary disciple?

This week organize or participate in food drives, soup kitchens, or other initiatives that offer meals to those in need, or advocate for policies and initiatives that address poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity in your community.

Divine Provider, as we continue on our journey, may we carry the spirit of the Living Bread with us. Guide our steps as we go forth to serve others in your name, nourishing both body and spirit. Strengthen our resolve to be missionary disciples, living out the message of the Eucharist in our daily lives.