Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 9, 2025
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.
This week’s gospel readings center on the Bread of Life discourse. In today’s passage, Jesus proclaims, “Whoever eats this bread will live forever, and the bread I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” As a senior alumnus, I find great comfort in his promise: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.”
Throughout this discourse, Jesus repeatedly emphasizes the necessity of consuming his body and blood—a truth fulfilled at the Last Supper. There, he took bread and wine, blessed them, and offered them as his very self. Each time we partake in the Eucharist, we respond to his command and enter the mystery of his self-giving love.
This teaching is central to our faith, affirming that Christ is our true sustenance, nourishing and transforming us. Since my First Communion many years ago, I have sought to deepen my understanding and appreciation of this sacred mystery. Jesus is not merely an abstract idea but a real person who entered history to renew our lives.
His body and blood sustain us on our journey. The Eucharist is not a reward for the righteous but food for the weary, given freely and without condition, just as God provided manna in the wilderness. As we walk in faith, let us accept his invitation to the Eucharistic table—not because we are perfect, but because we need him.
Each reception of the Eucharist is a profound encounter with Christ, fulfilling his command: “Do this in memory of me.” (Lk 22:19) In this sacred act, we are strengthened in faith and drawn into more profound unity with Christ and his church.
Prayer
Lord, your Son Jesus gives us his Body and his Blood in the Eucharist. His Love is real, total, and unconditional. Remove our feelings of unworthiness, anger, hurt, and revenge so we may allow you to feed our lives and quench our thirsts. Set us on fire to feed the hungers and thirsts of our world. We ask this through Jesus, the Bread of Life and the cup of love. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Though St. Anthony the Great is credited as the father of monasticism, St. Pachomius was the first to organize Christian communities around a common rule of life.
Pachomius was born in 292 in Upper Egypt, and at the age of 20 he was conscripted to the emperor’s army. He was transported down the Nile river with other recruits for training, and they traveled in terrible conditions. When they stopped at a small river town during their journey, Christians there showed them great kindness. Their charity deeply touched Pachomius.
As soon as he was able to leave the army, he made his way to a Christian church and began learning the faith as a catechumen. He was baptized and dedicated himself to finding every possible way to cooperate with the new grace he had received.
He learned of a hermit living in the desert, and he sought him out and asked to follow him. Pachomius promised the man obedience and they lived under great discipline and austerity—they ate only bread and salt, and practiced praying through the night.
Pachomius heard a call to establish a new monastery in a nearby region, and had a vision of an angel who instructed him on how to organize it. In 318, he constructed a small cell there and began his work.
The first to join him there was his brother, John, and others followed. Soon more than 100 lived together. He led them mainly by example, but allowed everyone to participate in their pursuit of holiness according to their ability.
The movement grew, and he eventually founded eight other monasteries, including one for women, which included his sister. Even in the face of false accusations, he displayed heroic humility and patience, and was known for miraculous healings.
Pachomius died in 348 of a disease that killed a number of other monks. At the time of his death, some 3,000 monks were living in his monasteries. His rule of life greatly influenced St. Benedict, who formed the trunk from which most branches of monasticism grew in the west.
St. Pachomius, you pioneered a path towards holiness through the practice of community, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Pachomius is available for use under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Last accessed March 6, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
