Eating and Living

Gospel: John 6: 52-59

Every human being has life and existence solely through God's love and mercy.  Existence is not owed to us, nor is it anything we earned.  It is entirely a gift of God. Similarly in our redemption from sin which gives us spiritual life: it is given to us all completely as a gift of God's love and mercy.  No one in any way merits this gift of God.

So in partaking of the bread of life, Jesus tells us that through it we have life - life in its fullness of body and spirit.  It is to partake of the redemption of the Lord Jesus and to abide in the life it provides for us.  To have this life is to then manifest the love and mercy of God in the world as well.  To participate in the Eucharist is a pledge to become Christ in the world, to show forth God's love and mercy to others.  

If we do not find ourselves living this love and mercy of God, it is to our blame and fault.  At the same time we should not despair, and we should continue to participate in the supper of the Lord.  Remember Peter and the other disciples: they failed time and again to manifest this love and mercy.  But Jesus time and again invited them to the table and to their credit they continued to accept the invitation.  Over time this food from heaven, these encounters with the Lord had its intended effect for them, and it will be so for us as well.