Today's Gospel

Don’t Get Too Familiar

Welcome to your daily gospel reflection, where we're exploring the radical and relevant nature of Jesus' life and teachings. We're in the Bread of Life discourse, and it is a radical, radical teaching. The teaching around the Eucharist, the teaching of Jesus saying, "I am the bread of life." Jesus saying, "Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood." And it was radical then. It's radical today. And I think sometimes we become familiar with all things. And it's a really dangerous thing when it comes to Eucharist.

So let's listen. And again, looking for just a word, a phrase, or an idea that can anchor our day, but also renew our understanding of these deep and vast mysteries. Today's reading comes from John 6:52-59. The Jews then disputed among themselves saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. And I will raise him up on the last day. My flesh is food indeed. My blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I abide in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven. Not such as the fathers ate and died. He who eats this bread will live forever." This he said in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum.

What jumps out at you today? The phrase that jumps out at me today is, "I will raise him up on the last day." The whole sentence is, "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood, has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." I wonder what that's like. I wonder what that's going to be like when God raises us up. And I think we don't think about it enough. I think we need to think about that more. I think we need to meditate on that more. I think we need to look forward to that more. I think we need to grow our anticipation of that. That's what jumped out at me today. I don't know what jumped out at you today, but really encourage you just to reflect today, to meditate a little bit on what's it going to be like to be raised up on the last day, because I think the more we treasure that, the more we will live into that vision. Have an amazing day. Remember, be bold, be Catholic.