For the Life of the World

Gospel: John 6: 51-58

The Bread of Life discourse in John's Gospel is presented within the context of Jesus feeding a large crowd with bread and fish, a discourse wherein Jesus refers to how God fed Israel in the desert with bread and quail.  Jesus now offers himself for the life of the entire world as spiritual food that is to accompany the material food we are to provide for people as well.  The mission of the disciple is to distribute both bread and fish for people's material needs, and the bread of heaven for people's spiritual needs.

The distribution of the Lord's body proceeds along the same lines as the distribution of the loaves and fish.  Jesus commanded the disciples to feed the people.  He did not command them to undertake a series of interrogations as to whether someone was worthy or not.  He did not ask us to look for reasons to exclude others from the table of the Lord.  He told us to feed others.  The table of Jesus was open to all right to the very end, and the offering of himself was for the whole world, not a select few.  

As we celebrate this feast of Corpus Christi, we are invited to reflect and discern ways that we can feed people with the material food they need, and how we might feed people with the Eucharist in their spiritual need as well.  Today is a day for us to discern how we ourselves might be the body and blood of Christ poured out for others in our work of mercy and care for others in the world.  Today is a day for us to become what we eat, to do what we say we believe.   

The Model of Discipleship

Gospel: Mark 12: 38-44

The Roman collar worn by most priests in the west has its origin in the ancient Roman Empire.  It was the neck band worn by slaves.  The Roman clergy adopted it to identify with and be in solidarity with the slave class of their day.  Similarly, the robes of the monk and friar were originally the simple garb of a beggar, adopted by the monk and friar as they were literal beggars, living the life of poverty to be in solidarity with the poor of their day.

Needless to say, not a single cleric of our day wears these items for these intended purposes.  Nowadays, these religious garbs are worn to exhibit the status and power of the clerics, who gather among themselves to shop around at the finest houses of religious garb for these wares.  Yet, if one were to ask a cleric of our days, somehow the words of Jesus regarding religious attire seems to apply only to the religious leaders of his day and not to Christian clergy of this or any other time.  

Jesus points us to the widow as the person to imitate in our life: to have little, to possess no status in society, and to give generously what little we have to care for others.  We are not be like the rich and powerful, nor are we to be like the professional religious class and their fineries.  Our model in discipleship is a poor, powerless woman, not rich and haughty men.  For it is the poor who will possess the kingdom of God, and the meek will inherit the earth.  

Questions

Gospel: Mark 12: 35-37

In today's Gospel portion Jesus gets the opportunity to ask a question of the religious authorities regarding the central belief about the Messiah in the understanding of his day.  The question stumps the scribes and other religious leaders.  In our own day we may not find this issue particularly important or central to faith at all, but this short scene of the Gospel highlights an important element of faith life that is not only overlooked but very often discouraged and suppressed.  

Throughout the Gospels we find Jesus questioning religious leaders and the larger tradition regarding the law and authentic faith practice.  He sets about the task of challenging hypocrisy not to dismantle religion altogether but to find a path to a genuine life of faith.  The questions Jesus poses are to purify our faith.  His questions encourage us to ask similar questions and to challenge hypocrisy within our own religious traditions and faith life.  

Needless to say, the religious authorities of Jesus' time did not appreciate the questions and challenges, just as in our own time and in every age religious leaders do not appreciate questions, calling out hypocrisy, and challenges to their authority.  But a healthy faith must be allowed to question in a healthy way, to pursue truth and an authentic spiritual life.  Suppressing and discouraging the questions only leads to loss of faith and interest in religion.  Creating a culture of healthy conversation and questioning in pursuit of truth and goodness is the way of the Lord Jesus.