You must eat my body and drink my blood

XXI Sunday B John 6: 60-69 Today we get to the climax of Jesus’ teaching on the Eucharist. Jesus has fed and taught the people. Now he tells them that he is the bread of life and he promises them the gift of eternal life if they but eat and drink! What do the people do? After being offered the promise of eternal life? It says that the 5000 people left Jesus. Why? Why would people leave Jesus after he offers them the gift of eternal life? For those us here who have accepted the gift it really doesn’t make that much sense does it? The response of the people was, “This saying is too hard who can accept it?” what do you think? When Jesus offered the people the bread of life, why would they leave? Why would they turn down this gift? After Jesus had fed the 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish they were clamoring for more. When he offered them the bread of eternal life they all said yes. But now when Jesus says that he is the bread of life and to live you must eat his flesh and drink his blood the people all abandonded him. Jesus says, “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man an drink his blood you do not have life within you.” Jesus doesn’t say bread and wine. He doesn’t say body of spirit. He says flesh and blood. Jesus is talking about the his body, the body of Christ. He is talking about us! We are the body of Christ! We are Jesus in the flesh and blood. And this I think is why it was so hard for the folks to accept Jesus words. In our scripture reflection last week Elena had the answer. I said if we believe in the Eucharist who are what do we see differently? Elena’s answer was “everyone!” Our belief in the Eucharist changes the way we see everyone, including our very self. Last week I talked about transubstantiation our way of understanding how the bread and wine are transformed. But it is isn’t just that Jesus or the bread and wine are transfigured, but we are as well. We become the body of Christ. Paul says we are the body of Christ. When we celebrate the Eucharist the bread and wine are changed, but we are changed as well. We are no longer the same. Pope Benedict writing on the Eucharist said, “We are transformed completely to the point of being burned by fire in our celebration of the Eucharist. The eucharist unites us with the whole body of Christ.” Benedict continues saying, “If I can’t see Jesus in my brothers or sisters I won’t be able to see him in the Eucharist either.” That is why I believe that the people left Jesus at the sea of Galilee that day. It wasn’t that they didn’t believe that Jesus could be present in the bread and wine; it was that they couldn’t believe that Jesus was present in them. They couldn’t believe that Jesus was present in the other. As Elena said, “if we believe Jesus is present in the bread and wine, it changes the way we see everyone. In the Eucharist we are able to see one another as sisters and brothers. If you believe, then you will see Jesus in the bread and wine. But you will also see that Jesus is present in one another as well. This passage serves us a stunning reminder that the life of faith—vividly exemplified in our participation in the Eucharist—is always a radical choice. It isn’t about me and Jesus, it is about us and Jesus.