Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 19, 2024
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.
For the Jews who were quarreling amongst themselves when Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, I imagine there were two sides. On the one hand, it must have felt comforting for some to hear that this new flesh and blood—this remaining in God—offered eternal life. On the other hand, it made others deeply uncomfortable. Jesus is juxtaposing the manna their ancestors ate in the desert (a story central to their faith and culture) with this new radical offer of eternal life in him.
Similarly, today, the thought of remaining in God and allowing God to remain in us might evoke very different feelings for different people or even in the same person, depending on the circumstances.
For example, when we feel lonely, remaining with God and knowing God has a place for us can be a source of great comfort. On the other hand, when we find ourselves wrestling with our relationship with God or with others, this “remaining” can pose a great threat. It might feel easier to turn away from God to avoid the immediate discomfort.
But perhaps we are called to sit in that discomfort, knowing God remains inextricably in our hearts, allowing space for God until we take the actions to repair our relationships with God and others.
How is God calling us to remain? Can we see the long-term benefit of allowing God to remain in us today? How will we respond?
Prayer
Jesus, we can picture ourselves listening to you in that synagogue. We cannot comprehend what you are saying. It is too much for us to take in—eating flesh and drinking blood to gain eternal life. We need your help to more deeply appreciate the meaning of those words, the mystery of the Eucharist, and what it does for our lives and the life of the world. Amen.