"I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world." (St John 6:51)
Over the past few Sundays in church we have been reading from the sixth chapter of St John, the famous Bread of Life discourse. Tomorrow's Gospel (St John 6:51-58) is also taken from this famous chapter.
St John concentrates on the theme of the Eucharist as being identified with the bread of life - the idea that when we partake in Eucharistic celebration we are uniting and identifying ourselves with Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
We are also expressing our solidarity with the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And in doing that we are partaking in the great celebration of Christians, united in prayer and in life. In verse 56 of that same chapter we read: "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him." St John stresses the idea of life, life in Jesus and life in the world.
In recent times there has been much controversy over the problems of inter-church Communion. The reality that Christian churches are divided is a terrible scandal and every Christian is duty bound to work to bring about of true union between the churches.
These days people may appear to show less respect for the Eucharist than they did 30 or 40 years ago. But in those days there may have been an over-emphasis on personal and private devotion to the Eucharist. It was a matter of an individual's personal relationship with God. That is still an important element in any Eucharistic devotion. But in recent years, and especially since the second Vatican Council, greater emphasis has been placed on the idea of the Eucharist building up union between peoples.
The sacrament of the Mass must never be celebrated behind closed doors away from the world. It is a celebration of the community, with individual members coming together in communion with God and with one another to offer prayer and worship to God. "Saying" Mass in private falls short of the true Eucharistic celebration.
Church is all about communion, a living communion of peoples with Jesus Christ at the centre. And the Mass is the celebration of that reality. Yet for a large number of people the idea of being part of the church is a non-runner.
It is far too simplistic to argue that people have lost the faith. It is part of the nature of humankind to search for the meaning of life. Christians believe that meaning to life is found in Jesus Christ, the bread of life. And if people are missing out on that bread it is imperative that those who are called to preach the Gospel and minister the sacraments go that extra mile in making real the Word of God in the here and now situation.
St John tells us that Jesus is the bread of life. It is incumbent on his ministers to bring that bread to the people of God and to do it in good times and in bad times.
Far too often we seem to get caught up in the minutiae of the moment and lose sight of the wider picture - the picture that paints God supreme, the God we aspire to love and adore.
And in loving that God we grow in our love and care for our fellow human beings.
M.C.