Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 23, 2015
Gospel: Jn 6:60-69
Many of Jesus’disciples who were listening said, “This
saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring (1) about this, he said to them, “Does this
shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending
(2) to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the
flesh is of no avail (3). The words I have
spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who
would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can
come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.”
As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to
their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the
Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom
shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and
are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
(http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/082315.cfm)
The difficult words
(1)To murmur is to grumble, to complain in a
low voice.
(2) Ascending is going up in the air. Jesus
is referring to the Ascension, when he would return to heaven and his Father.
(3) When something is of no avail, it is useless and will not
help. Jesus is saying again that he has come not to feed our bellies, but to
save our souls.
This week’s spotlight
"Thanks be to God"
At the end of the first and second readings, the
reader says “The word of the Lord," and we respond by saying, "Thanks
be to God." By saying this, we are telling God that we are grateful for
being able to hear his word. We welcome it into our hearts and promise to keep
it there so that it will help us to grow. We also promise to share it with
others! We believe that the words of Scripture are God's words because the Holy
Spirit inspired those who wrote it.
The reading of the Gospel
Before the Gospel is read, we stand and sing the
Alleluia, rejoicing that we are about to listen to Jesus’ words. Between the
Alleluias we also sing or say a verse known as the Gospel acclamation. It is a
verse of praise to God for his glory and power. Before the priest or deacon
reads the Gospel, we make the sign of the cross three times: on our forehead so
that the word of God may make us wise; on our lips so that we can share God's
word with others; and on our chest so that God's word can live in our hearts.
We always stand when the Gospel is read, as a sign of respect for Christ, who
is present in the word. Sometimes
incense is used to honor the Gospel.
Reflection
Communion
Jesus has made a great promise: “Whoever eats my flesh
and drinks my blood has eternal life.” Many in the crowd thought this was
disgusting. They didn’t understand that he would give people his body and blood
in the form of bread and wine. Some decided to stop being his followers; it was
too much for them to believe. Even today, many people hold on to bad attitudes
that keep them from believing in the Good News. Christians believe that when
they receive the body of the risen Christ, they are already experiencing
eternal life. They let themselves be changed by the love that God offers in a
special way to those who receive the body of Christ in communion. The Eucharist
is a beautiful gift, and it reminds us that God only wants what is beautiful
for everyone.
Discussion questions
1.Did all of Jesus' disciples accept his teaching?
2.Who showed that they had faith in Jesus in today's Gospel?
3.What did Simon Peter say that the Twelve had come to believe about
Jesus?
4.Before the priest or deacon reads the Gospel, what do we do? And what
does it mean?
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. Lord, to
whom shall we go? You continue to nourish us with the words of eternal life.
May this communion with the body and the blood of your Son help me to trust in your promises.
Maze Puzzle
http://usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm