Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 9, 2015
Gospel: Jn 6:41-51
The Jews murmured (1) about Jesus because
he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” and they said, “Is this
not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how
can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop
murmuring among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me
draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They
shall all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from
him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from
God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has
eternal life. I am the bread of life (2). Your ancestors ate the manna in the
desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that
one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever
eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh (3) for the life of the world.”
(http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080915.cfm)
The difficult words
(1) To murmur is to grumble, to complain in a
low voice.
(2) By calling himself the bread of life, Jesus is trying to explain
that he did not come merely to help the
poor by providing bread for them. He is the spiritual food that will give
eternal life to all who believe in him.
(3) Flesh means the body.
This week’s spotlight
"Blessed are you. Lord, God
of all creation..."
The offertory prayer begins with a blessing. The
priest thanks God for all creation and then presents God with bread and wine,
food and drink that were grown and made by human hands. Bread is one of the
most basic, important foods, and wine is a sign of joy. In becoming the body
and blood of Christ, the bread which keeps us alive on earth and the wine which
brings us joy become the "bread of life" and the “spiritual drink.”
Jesus gives himself as food for us so: that we may have eternal life.
"Blessed be God for ever”
We believe that the bread that the priest offers at
Mass will become the body of Christ and that Jesus is the “bread of life.“ We
say the words "Blessed be God for ever” to show our thanks for all God's
blessings, especially the gift of the Eucharist. Each person who has communion
with the body of Christ becomes part of the Body of Christ, the Church. This is
such a beautiful gift, such a magnificent mystery, that we will never stop
giving God thanks and praise.
Reflection
Jesus, the living bread
We eat bread all the time. It’s a very important part
of our diet. In Jesus’ time, bread was the most important food in a household.
In this week’s Gospel, Jesus says: “I am the living bread that came down from
heaven.” God the Father sent his Son down from heaven so that he could become
“living bread" for us. Bread we buy from the bakery or grocery store helps
to keep our bodies healthy here on earth, but Jesus, the living bread, gives us
eternal life with God. The living bread that Jesus gives us is the Eucharist,
his body and blood. At Mass, the altar bread is changed into the body and blood
of Jesus, the living bread come down from heaven. The Eucharist is Jesus’ own
life that he offered to the Father out of love. By eating this living bread we
are united with Jesus, with his Father and the Holy Spirit, and with each other
- for all eternity. That’s how we become the Church!
Bringing the Gospel Into Your Family
Think of the many ways God feeds your family and each
member of it. We are fed with friendship, kindness, joy, health, care, love,
and many more ways that you may think of. When we receive the Eucharist, we
give thanks for these gifts. What are some ways your family shares these gifts
with others? Are there new ways you can think of as a family?
Discussion questions
1. Why did the Jews murmur about
Jesus?
2. Why didn’t people believe in what Jesus said?
3. What information does the crowd know about Jesus?
4. Is this enough to know Jesus well?
5. What does Jesus say a person must do to know him well?
6. Who is the living bread?
Praying after Communion
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart.
Our Father, this communion makes
us one family in your Son. Help us to live as true brothers sisters.
Crossword Puzzle
