Fr Marco Lazzaron
esus’ speech on the bread of life continues in today’s Gospel. We heard last Sunday: “I am the bread of life: whoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty!” This clear, explicit, and direct declaration arouses immediate (and not positive) reactions from the Jews especially when he adds: “…and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world”.
He also says that he will resurrect those who come to him on the last day: in no uncertain terms, he proclaims that he is the Messiah. Well, sooner or later he had to say it… And immediately the hostility breaks out. So sensitive to morality, they do not realize that Jesus is not making a moral speech but is talking about faith.
Last week we heard Jesus saying: “This is working for God: to believe in the one He has sent”, which is “to believe in Christ”. Faith in Him becomes the underlying reason for behavior and morality. I already seem to hear the objection: “We already believe in Christ” as if it were an obvious fact and therefore superfluous to remember. However, believing in Jesus is not at all a given! It cannot be assumed, ever!
To give us this bread-from-heaven, the Lord died, not only in a spiritual sense, but also physically! And won’t we go and receive it whenever we can? That little piece of bread is worth the life of God. There is nothing so important (studying, working, sport games, etc.) that can replace the receiving of such a great gift which is Christ himself.
This can also be objected to by some: “I do not come to Mass; I don’t need the Church because I do not steal, I do what I am told, I am kind, etc.” Faith, I repeat, comes before morality! I’m happy to know that there are many good and helpful people, even if they don’t believe in God and I know more than one! However, I am interested in the profound conviction that what I say and do it is because I believe in God. Not only that: I can nourish this conviction, called faith, every day by celebrating the Eucharist, especially on Sunday! The Eucharist constitutes an unparalleled added value!
A bit like eating a plate of spaghetti with or without salt… the taste changes, it changes a lot, doesn’t it? A little pinch of salt enhances the flavor of foods; in the same way the Eucharist: it enhances every action, every choice, every word. On the other hand, it is always Jesus, who warns us against turning to God by multiplying words, sacrifices, vows, renunciations, penances, novenas, Communions, Rosaries. It’s not a question of quantity, but of quality!
At the same time, the great experts in sacramental theology recognize, day after day, Mass after Mass, we are constantly shaped and reshaped on the model that is Christ, becoming ever more conformed to him. Until we reach perfect resemblance to the One who gave life for us and for everyone, so that we too can give it without hesitation and without measure.