"You've got mail!" Who among us has not experienced the wide range of thoughts and emotions that this simple statement can generate? Not so long ago, the recognition of a familiar handwriting on an envelope in the mailbox could evoke a similar response. Today, however, and due to the almost mind-boggling advances in computer technology, these words can travel through cyberspace so as to be spoken electronically into our homes and places of work. "You've got mail," says an anonymous but expressive voice, and we become aware that someone, somewhere, wants to connect and communicate with us. Of course, the prerogative of responding or not remains our own, because "You've got mail" is an invitational statement, not an imperative. In a sense, the readings put before the praying assembly today are similarly invitational.
Through the first reading, the responsorial psalm and the gospel, which allows us to continue in our foray into John 6, God seems to be saying, "You 've got mail; you've been invited to a banquet. The choice is yours. Will you come and eat and be satisfied or are you too busy, too sated, or too self-sufficient to attend? R.S.V.P."
In the Proverbs text, God's invitational "mail" to humankind is packaged in the person of Wisdom. Having prepared a lavish feast, she is ready to act as a gracious hostess, welcoming all who come to her in simplicity and need. Like Wisdom, the Johannine Jesus, as featured in today's Gospel, is sending a similar missive, offering his very self as food for the hungry. In this week's gospel as well as in that of next week, we shall be able to observe some of the reactions to Jesus' invitation. Some will be repulsed by his offer of himself as real food and real drink. Others will believe, eat and have life because of him. Through the repeated refrain, "Taste and see the goodness of the Lord," the psalmist reminds us of the privilege that is ours if only we take the time to respond to God's never-ending overtures.
"You've got mail," God says with the gift of each new day. Can you discern my message in the beauty of the sunrise and the music of the birds? Can you read between the lines of your daily joys, struggles and sufferings and hear my voice? "You've got mail," God says, on every page of Scripture. Can you hear my challenge to social justice as it is voiced by Amos? Can you hear my calls to repentance and reconciliation in the words of Hosea? Will you attend to my criticisms of your worship offered by Micah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel? Can you hear my reminders of love as they are expressed by Isaiah? Are you sensitive to my voice as it is echoed in the exhortations of Paul and James and John the Elder? "You've got mail," God says. His name is Jesus; his saving story continues to be proclaimed in your midst through the evangelists. Are you still listening and living accordingly?
"You've got mail," God says, Do you read my messages in the experiences of your ancestors in the faith? "You've got mail," God says in every sacramental moment. Can you see beyond the signs and symbols and hear my promises of love, forgiveness, healing, presence and peace?
"You've got mail," God says. Can you hear me pleading for your compassion through the silent screams of the unborn, the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the naked and the lost? Will you listen as I speak to you through the needs of the disadvantaged, the disenfranchised and the marginal members of the human family? Will you attend to my voice as I prompt your religious leaders and contemporary prophets to define the challenges of discipleship in the third Christian millennium?
"You've got mail," God says in every broadcast of the evening news wherein the plight of your needy brothers and sisters is exposed. Do you hear? Will you respond? Will you download my messages and make them a priority in your life? Will these provide the fodder for your conversations, the program for you efforts and the conscious intentions of your prayers? Or will you take the path of least resistance and least involvement and press "delete," turning a deaf ear and a hardened heart to my many invitations to you? "You've got mail," God says. (1)
This Sunday we continue our consideration of St. John's account of Jesus' words "I am the living Bread come down from heaven." In today's gospel Jesus shocked the people he was speaking to in stressing that any follower of his had to eat of his flesh (the word in Greek that Jesus used means to chew, to munch) and drink his blood. Such language shocked them who considered blood so sacred, they were never to taste it. And eating one's flesh smacked of cannibalism.
So when some found Jesus' words hard and started to walk away, Jesus said to his disciples "Will you, too, walk away?" They answered, "Lord, to whom shall we go? We have come to know and believe that you are the Son of God and have the words of eternal life."
This was a brave statement on their part, expressing their belief in Jesus and in anything he might say. Churches have variously interpreted Jesus' words here, but in the last analysis Jesus is saying that we must live a life of faith in him, and that making his words our life-plan means we are living in him as much as if we were to physically consume him.
Just as the food we eat becomes part of our body, nourishing us and giving us life, so the Jesus we receive in the Holy Eucharist nourishes us and gives us spiritual life. When we eat food, it becomes a part of our body; when we consume Jesus' body and blood under the form of bread and wine, we become a part of him . something of a reverse process. We become more engrafted into the Mystical Body of believers, into Jesus' body, into him who is the head of the Body.
We cannot understand these things, and Jesus is not asking us to. He is simply saying we are to act on his words - which is what faith means - and we are to receive him in the Holy Eucharist under the form of bread and wine. While the mindset we bring to the Eucharist does not in any way assure Jesus' presence in the Eucharist, the faith we bring and the pure life we are living in him assures us that he nourishes us and sustains us more and more with each reception of him. Were we to receive him unworthily, with serious sin on our soul. . St. Paul tells us here that we would be eating and drinking unto ourselves eternal condemnation, not discerning the presence of the Body and Blood of Christ.
When Jesus says "Do this in remembrance of me," he is saying we are to take the essence of the Eucharist - which is his laying down his body and blood for us on the cross - and go out among our brothers and sisters ready to lay down our lives for them with the same love.
- During World War II, the Red Cross made blood available to all who needed
it - ally or enemy. The Red Cross would also provide the soldier with the
name of the donor so that, if he wanted, he could write a letter or note of
thanks.
A custom developed among medics in the European theater that if a Nazi officer needed blood, they would find a Jewish donor. The medic would then tell the officer, "The bad news is: If left to your own strength and resources, you will die. The good news: We have blood that will save your life - from a Jewish donor. All you have to do is accept it."
A few refused the blood, saying they would rather die than accept the blood of a hated Jew. But most wanted to live and gladly accepted the blood from a fellow human being - who happened to be a Jew. To accept life demanded, on their part, a new view of and attitude toward this group of fellow human beings. (2)
This is not a quick fix. To receive this living bread is to have our whole lives changed.
If we were to ingest even a small amount of a poison, say arsenic, every aspect of life would change. We'd die!!
To ingest even a small amount of Jesus gives the opposite effect - life. To ingest Jesus is to be more alive, more responsive, more alert, more caring, more committed, more able to bear heavier burdens. To eat of this living bread, this gift of life is to be changed, totally changed in every aspect of life.
- Several years ago the Tournament of Roses hosted their annual parade New
Year's Day in Pasadena, California. The Standard Oil Company had a float
covered with beautiful flowers. It was a wonderful float, one of the best.
But part way through the parade the float stopped dead in its tracks. They
tried everything to get it restarted.
The problem was that they had run out of gas. One of the biggest gasoline refiners in the world had not thought to fill the gas tank of its float in the parade. All that power and none of it in the tank.
So what do we do with all this bread? What do we do with Jesus? We take, we
eat, we partake. We ingest this life giving bread, this gift of life that
changes everything. It gives us power for the road, and life for eternity.
We partake of this living bread that fills us and blesses us, even into
eternal life. (3)
1. Patricia Datchuk Sanchez, "You've got mail," Celebration, 29 (08): 361
(Celebration, 115 East Armour Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64111-1203) August
2000.
2. "Blood lines" Connections, 20th Sunday of the year, (MediaWorks, 7
Lantern Lane, Londonderry, N.H. 03053-3905) August 2000.
3. Tom O. Miller, "What will we do with more bread?" LectionaryHomiletics 12
(9): 20 (Lectionary Homiletics, Inc., 13540 East Boundary Road, Building 2,
Suite 105, Midlothian, VA 23112) August 2000.
(Comments to Jerry at padre@tri-lakes.net. Jerry's book, Stories For All Seasons, is available at a discount through the Homiletic Resource Center.)