Homily For Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 18th August, 2024

 

Reading: Prov. 9:1-6; Ps. 34; Eph.5:15-20; John 6:51-58

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

MY FLESH IS REAL FOOD AND MY BLOOD REAL DRINK FOR YOUR SOUL
 

Life, no doubt, is a great mystery. It is a mystery that requires our attention towards understanding how to make decisions with what it offers to us. We may not be able to have a complete understanding of the mysteries of life. However, when we embrace its signs and symbols, it reveals itself more for our understanding. But if we neglect these signs and symbols, we will become lost and confused, and if care is not taken, we will miss out on the real fruits of this life's mysteries.

 

 We will understand this reality better when we reflect on the event in our Gospel passage today. In this event, we heard how Jesus engaged the people in a very important discussion about the reality of life mystery and his sacrificial love for humanity. A discussion that was very strange and difficult to comprehend.

 

 He said to them “I am the living bread which has come 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… I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him.

 

This teaching seemed so hard and difficult to understand as many disciples of Jesus withdrew from him and abandoned him just like some of our brethren in faith chose to abandon this same truth of our faith concerning the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. However, their abandoning of Jesus does not make him change his statement.

 

But for those Apostles who stayed, he made known this mystery at the Last Supper and on the Cross at Calvary when he instituted the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist by presenting the Bread and Wine as his Body and Blood which he offered as a sacrificial love for humanity and gave his disciples power and authority to do this in memory of him.

 

This very mandate of Christ is what the Church is doing at every celebration of the Holy sacrifice of the Mass, where Christ through the priest who acts ‘in persona Christi’ by the power of consecration, transubstantiate the Bread and Wine into his Real Body and Blood and offer it to God His Father as an unbloodied sacrificial love for humanity.

 

This means that the substance and essence of the bread and wine the priest blessed and offered to God at the celebration of the Holy Mass has truly become the very Body and Blood of Christ Himself, under the appearance of bread and wine through the mystery of Transubstantiation. Thus, through the word ‘transubstantiation’ from the two words ‘Trans’ which means ‘change’ and ‘Substantiate’ meaning ‘substance or essence’, we can explain the mystery of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Here, we have the change of the whole substance of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ through the prayer of consecration by Christ Himself through the priest in the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Therefore, at every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, through the power of the Holy Spirit the substance of bread and wine become the Real and Most Precious Body and Blood of Christ Jesus, just in the same way he spoke at the Last Supper saying ‘This is My Body, which shall be given up for you’, ‘This is the Chalice of My Blood, the Blood of the New and Eternal Covenant, which shall be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins’.

 

This he fulfilled at the Cross in Calvary, where he offered himself; Body, Soul and Divinity for the salvation of humanity. Hence, we share in this grace of salvation when we participate fully in this sacrificial offering of God’s love for humanity. That is why the Church defined the Eucharist as the sacrament of the true body and blood of Jesus Christ, together with his Soul and Divinity, under the appearance of bread and wine. However, the appearances of bread and wine remain in the Holy Eucharist, for we cannot see Christ with our bodily eyes in this sacrament. But we do see him with the eyes of faith. But this is difficult for those who do not have faith and are ignorant.

 

Little wonder St Paul advised us in our second reading today saying: Be very careful about the sort of lives you lead, like wise and intelligent people and not like unwise and senseless people. Because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what is the will of the Lord. Do not get drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit.

 

To understand more about this mystery, we were told in our first reading today that Wisdom has built herself a house; she has erected her seven pillars, slaughtered her beasts, prepared her wine, and laid her table. She has despatched her maidservants and proclaimed from the city’s heights: ‘Who is ignorant? Let him step this way.’ To those who are without sense, she says, ‘Come and eat my bread, drink the wine I have prepared! Leave your folly and you will live, walk in the ways of perception.

 

This is important because Christ Jesus has offered us his body and blood, having won eternal redemption for us. He has purified our inner self from dead actions so that we can offer our service to the living God. The fact remains that in the Eucharist, we are physically and spiritually fed, for Christ gave us his body and blood not just for us to survive in this world, but for us to gain eternal life and come to share in his love.

 

Dear friends, what is our understanding of the mysteries of life and the presence of Christ in the Eucharist? What is our relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist? What is our attitude towards the Holy Eucharist? What is our experience of Jesus in the Eucharist? How has the Eucharist we receive almost every day changed our lives positively? How has the Eucharist influenced our lives to sacrifice for the good of humanity? Do we still have that strong desire to receive Christ in the Eucharist? Do we still believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist? Do we still feel the love of Jesus in the Eucharist?

 

 How often have we abused the Eucharist and treated the body of Christ without due reverence? How often have we received the Eucharist unworthily? The answer to these questions is blowing in the wind because we have forgotten that anyone who received the Eucharist in an unworthy state received judgment unto his or herself (1 Cor. 11:27-29). Anyone aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession ( CCC. 1457).

 

Therefore, we must receive the Eucharist worthily and reverently. These are the benefits we gain when we receive the Eucharist worthily: first, we gain eternal Life and renew the life of grace we received at Baptism. We also gain forgiveness of Venial Sins, we receive spiritual joy, Supernatural Protection and closeness to the Trinity. Yes, the Eucharist fills our hearts with love and thanksgiving. It gives us hope that God is with us in our daily struggles. In the Eucharist, we have a personal communion with Christ. For it keeps us in one communion with God, the church and with one another. It reminds us of God's constant presence with humanity and his love for us.

 

So, today we are called to embrace the love of God present in the Holy Eucharist, the power of God’s mercy for sinful humanity. We are called to deepen our understanding of the rich mystery of our faith in the Eucharist. Today we are called to change the way we relate with Jesus in the Eucharist. We are called to strive to worthily receive the Holy Eucharist. We are called to be grateful for this Sacrificial love of Christ in the Holy Eucharist and form the habit of adoring Christ our Lord present in the Holy Eucharist. We are called to let the love of his presence transform our souls into that purest love that will renew our families, our societies, our country and the world at large.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, through the sacrificial love of your Son Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, grant us the grace to constantly experience your presence within us, especially in the midst of doubt, ignorance, persecution, trials and uncertainties of life. May the Eucharistic Power of Christ's love fill our hearts once again and so renew the hatred, greed and corruption in the hearts of sinful humanity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday to you all.