When Readers Digest
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 17, 2003

When Readers Digest
by Tom Cox

It doesn’t add up” is a frequent cry in our world. We’re not talking maths here, but deeper realities. There are things that even if the heart can appreciate, the mind certainly cannot grasp.

So let’s not be too hard on the first listeners to Jesus. For them to be told “eat my flesh, drink my blood” simply did not add up. Hard to swallow – literally. Even today the principle behind the treatment of meat in the Jewish tradition is to drain blood, as blood symbolises life. Meat accordingly is caked in salt to drain out the blood.

So, here we gather, a motley crew, an odd mix. Some members of the body of Christ we are part of, know physical hunger, all of us are certainly spiritually hungry. To all is proclaimed “unless you eat…. you will not have life in you.”

Actually “chew” is a better word than “eat.” Eat the bread of life, chew it to extract the nourishing value! Absorb His word, his life, feel yourself into it, think about how to make “flesh” of His words and His life into yours, digest him completely. Don’t just gulp and go. Make Christ a part of you, so close a union that people will say – you couldn’t tell them apart.

“Be very careful about the sort of lives you lead..” (second reading)

(Comments to Tom at tomascox@eircom.net )