| Reading 1 | Response | Reading 2 | Gospel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a | Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20 | 1 Cor 10:16-17 | Jn 6:51-58 |
Eucharist: manna, word of God, common meal, bread of life and unity
⛊⛉ On the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, the Lectionary readings invite us to think about the Eucharist as gift: of life, of physical and spiritual food, and of unity.
The first reading, from Deuteronomy, retells some of the exodus events and wilderness wanderings. The Deuteronomic author imagines Moses addressing the Israelites and recalling (“remember,” “do not forget”) God’s great acts, especially God feeding the Israelites with physical food: manna. For later Hebrew scripture writers, manna represents spiritual food as well: Wisdom literature promises that God’s wisdom and God’s word (“every word coming from God’s mouth”) feeds and nourishes its hearers. The Lectionary editors chose this reading because the gospel uses manna as a type of Eucharist. The gospel’s Bread of Life discourse draws parallels between manna and Jesus as the bread coming down from heaven.
The second reading, from Paul’s first letter to the Corinth ekklesia, explains the meaning of their shared meal. Paul teaches that the cup and bread is both a fellowship meal (“sharing”) and re-remembrance meal (“blood of Christ,” “body of Christ”). Paul also emphasizes koinonia (= community, fellowship) when he describes the unity of “one loaf” and “one body” in which all participate and become one. Paul criticizes the Corinthians’ individualistic attitude toward the Eucharist, which they interpreted as a guarantee of personal salvation. Paul corrects their misunderstanding, reminding them that Eucharist binds each disciple not only to Christ but also to every other person, with all the obligations koinonia entails. The Eucharist has both a vertical orientation (to Christ) and a horizontal orientation (to others). The Lectionary editors chose this reading because it refers to the early ekklesia‘s understanding and celebration of the Eucharistic meal.
John’s gospel, from the second part of Jesus’ “bread of life” discourse, operates on multiple levels:
- Passover connection. John says Jesus presents this teaching during the feast of Passover. The Passover meal anticipates and remembers God’s freeing the Israelites from Egypt. It is a true meal, celebrated with food, bread, and drink. The Eucharist, a true meal of bread and wine, anticipates and re-presents Jesus’ saving act.
- Manna coming down from heaven. Jesus refers to God feeding the Israelites with manna, a food that God gave them from heaven. Jewish tradition associates manna, God’s gift that sustains physical life, with the Torah, God’s gift that gives true spiritual life. Jewish interpreters describe studying the Torah as eating or consuming God’s gift of life as food.
- The living bread coming down from heaven. Jesus tells his Jewish hearers that he is the “living bread coming down from heaven,” drawing a parallel between the physical manna and himself, and God’s word in the Torah and his words as God’s Sent One. Jesus replaces the manna and the Torah. Eating physical manna gave only physical life, but eating Jesus’ flesh and blood gives eternal life. In the same way, consuming the Torah brings spiritual life, but consuming Jesus’ words as the true revelation of God brings an eternal life of remaining-in-relationship with God.
The Corpus Christi readings invite us to explore the many meanings of Eucharist. Deuteronomy remembers God’s caring act of feeding the Israelites on their wilderness journey. Paul connects the Corinthians’ unifying fellowship meal with Jesus’ transformative and saving act. The gospel discourse ties together the Jewish Passover celebration, consuming manna and God’s word in the Torah, and hearing and eating the living bread from heaven. Today, after several months of Eucharistic absence, we are beginning to reengage with the liturgy and our believing community. How appropriate that this Eucharistic feast welcomes us back! In the pandemic’s wilderness, God has cared for us with word; now we rejoin the community at the table, sharing the bread from heaven. How has our wilderness changed our understanding of this meal? How have we changed in our Eucharistic absence? The Eucharistic gift continues to act, offering unity and relationship. Will we rediscover the gift and allow it to heal our damaged world?
—Terence Sherlock
The Lectionary In Context 