Homily (Reflection) for the Twentieth
Sunday of the Year (B) (19th August, 2018) on the Gospel
Prov 9:1-6;Ps 33:2-3.10-15 (R. V. 9);
Eph 5:15-20;
Jn 6: 51-58.
“There was a Christian lady who lived next door to an
atheist. Everyday, when the lady prayed, the atheist guy could hear her. He
thought to himself, ‘She sure is crazy, praying all the time like that. Doesn’t
she know there isn’t a God?’ Many times while she was praying, he would go to
her house and harass her, saying ‘Lady, why do you pray all the time? Don’t you
know there is no God?’ But she kept on praying.
“One day, she ran out of groceries. As usual, she was
praying to the Lord, explaining her situation and thanking Him for what He was
going to do. As usual, the atheist heard her praying and thought to himself.
‘Hmph. I will fix her.’ He went to the grocery store, bought a whole bunch of
groceries, took them to her house, dropped them off on the front porch, rang
the doorbell, and then hid in the bushes to see what she would do. When she
opened the door and saw the groceries, she began to praise the Lord with all
her heart, jumping, singing and shouting.
“The atheist then jumped out of the bushes and told her,
‘You crazy old woman! God didn’t buy you those groceries, I bought them for
you!’
Well, she broke
out and started running down the street, shouting and praising the Lord even
more. When he finally caught up with her, he asked what her problem was. She
said, ‘I knew the Lord would provide me with some groceries, but I didn’t know
he was going to make the devil pay for them!’” (Thomas, T. (2010). Spice
up your homilies. Mumbai: St Pauls, pp. 112-113).
Topic: Benefits of His Body and Blood.
We read from the gospel these
unequivocal words of Jesus Christ to all of us:
Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the
flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who
eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on
the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who
eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them (Jn 6:53-56).
Although many still dispute today like the Jews, this passage enumerates
some of the benefits of the Body and Blood of Christ. Among these are the facts
that they give eternal life, and make us to abide in Christ.
We know that for a living being to survive, there is need for the
required food and drink. And every living thing exists for a purpose. Human
beings exist ultimately for the life after death. We read from the gospel, “I
am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is
that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). And those who abide in Jesus
and Jesus in them are those who eat and drink Christ’s Body and Blood; “Those
who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.” Refusing Christ’s
offer leads to death.
It is important also to remind ourselves that although Christ’s
Body and Blood are for eternal life, one must be very careful lest they lead
one to the eternal death. Hence Saint Paul warns,
Whoever ... eats the bread or drinks the cup
of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of
the Lord. Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the
cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink
judgement against themselves. For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and
some have died (1Cor 11:27-30).
We also read,
I know your works; you have a name of being
alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the
point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God.
Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not
wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will
come to you (Rev. 3:1-3).
This message to the church in Sardis is very important to whoever
claims to be a child of God yet fails to receive Christ’s Body and Blood. It is
still early enough for anyone who wishes to make a useful U-turn. If you wish
to have life, turn from human teachings to God’s and eternal life will be
yours. And do not forget that those who will be happy on the last day are those
who keep God’s words and not men’s cf. Prov
8:32. The woman we saw in our introduction said: ‘I knew the Lord
would provide me with some groceries, but I didn’t know he was going to make
the devil pay for them!’ Do not reason just as a man but like one who believes
in God.
Bible Reading: Ps 73:21-26; Rom 8:1-17; 1Cor 6:12-20; 1Cor
11:27-34.
Thought for today:
As a child of God, do you receive Christ’s Body and Blood, and how worthily if
you do?
Let us pray: Jesus, help us to always receive you here on earth
worthily and may we after this life be “invited to the marriage supper of the
Lamb” (Rev 19:9) – Amen.
You are
free to share this reflection with others if you consider it worthy.
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