HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 3RD WEEK OF EASTER YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink
BY: Fr. Deotacious Chikontwe SMA
READINGS OF THE DAY
Acts 9:1-20
Psalm 116
John 6:52-59
INTRODUCTION
Greetings my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate Friday of the Third Week of Easter Season.
FROM OUR FIRST READING
In our first reading, we heard about the moment when Paul in his earlier life as he was known by the name of Saul, a young and overzealous Pharisee, how he had persecuted the early Christian community in his rounding up and arresting everyone who believed in the Lord Jesus and in His teachings. Saul was thoroughly convinced, by his education and upbringing, that what he had done was righteous and good for the people of God, and that he was uprooting a heresy and blasphemy from the recently crucified Messiah, whom the Pharisees, Sadducees and the elders considered as a False Messiah, blasphemer and traitor to their nation and people. He had been violently persecuting the first followers of Jesus, and in persecuting them he was persecuting God’s Son, Jesus, now risen Lord. This was what Paul came to realize when the risen Lord appeared to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ Yet, the Lord had great plans for this persecutor of the church, but first he had to endure a period of blindness, during which this proud man was completely dependent on others, ‘they had to lead him into Damascus by the hand’. It was only when a member of the church of Damascus, Ananias, laid his hands on Paul in prayer that his sight was restored.
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FROM OUR GOSPEL READING
In todays Gospel reading, Jesus is finishing his discourse in the synagogue in Capernaum. He has just alluded to the great truth of the Eucharist and, in response, the crowds begin to quarrel among themselves since they don’t understand how Jesus can give them his Flesh to eat. Jesus responds to their question by reiterating three things. First, he says to the crowds that unless they eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, they will not have life. This is because Jesus’ Flesh and Blood bestow eternal life on those who partake of them. Second, when we eat the Flesh of Christ and drink his Blood, we enter into communion with him: Jesus remains in us and we remain in Jesus.
CONCLUSION
There is a clear reference to the Eucharist in todays readings, as the moment when we enter into communion with the body and blood of the Lord. On this occasion Jesus did not break through the resistance of those to whom he spoke. Even some of his own disciples would walk away because of this teaching on the Eucharist. Yet, we are asked to take these words of Jesus into our own hearts, extraordinary as they are, tempted as we are to ask the question, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ The Lord wants us to receive him in faith in the Eucharist, so that we can draw life from him, and become channels of his life to others.
The Lord be always with You.
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