S. FAUSTI - The text has two levels of reading. It is always possible a second reading, because every word means some thing else and, at the end, means the Other. This is worth in particular for the Gospel of John, which, instead of telling the transfiguration, makes of it the lens through which to look at everything else. In fact, it sees with the new eye and new heart of the one who loves, who in all things sees the Face of the Loved one. This vision, far from being "visionary", is the most real of alls, because it is made in the light of the One who is Light and Life of what exists. The first level of reading, however scandalous,it is understandable also for listeners of Jesus. Asserting that He is the bread of Life and that His flesh is the true flesh of the new Exodus, Jesus attributes to Himself the prerogatives of the Word. He shows Himself indeed as the fulfillment of what mean exodus and alliance , and even before creation, : God's plan of communicating His life to man. Eating and Assimilating Him, the beloved Son of the Father who loves the brothers, is the new law. To those who do not believe that He can give Eternal Life because He is man, He replies that just His humanity is the ultimate revelation of God. For this reason, the one who does not accept Him, does not accomplish the works of God and does not receive Life. The second level of reading is transparent to the Christian mystery: it is a true homily about the Eucharist. His Flesh is not metaphorical: it is truly His Body given to us. Whoever eats His Flesh , true bread, feeds on Him, receives the supreme gift of God: the Body and the Blood of the Son, who puts him in communion of Life and with Him and with the Father. John, in his own style, does not mention the institution of the Eucharist, which readers know; instead, he prefers to make understand the deep mystery, exposing what the other Gospels leave implicitly . Speaking of Flesh and Blood, they allude to the cross where Jesus will give His Body and will shed His Blood. It is His humanity that gives man what of which every thing is sign: God Itself as a Gift of Itself. For it we enter in Communion with the Son of God who became the Son of Man. Every other bread is symbol of this which is the reality. Because of this we take any crumb of bread - every reality, how small it is - as sign of Father's love, we thank Him and we share with the brothers, making move on round Son's Life into every thing and for everyone. Eucharist is truly the salvation of us and of the whole world .In fact, He makes us children in the Son, in communion with the Father, with the brothers and with all creation. What is not the object of the Eucharist is dead and infected with death. This ending of the dialogue makes us enter into the mystery of that "overmore" of bread that is by now present in every fragment of creation: it is God Himself who gives us to live of Him, of His Love. In fact, any gift implies the gift of oneself. Creation, Exodus, and Alliance find their fullness in the Eucharist: it is the seventh day feast, the freedom of children, the marriage between Creator and creature, the rest of one in the other. In front of a God who gives Himself us – how He can not given Himself if He is Love- There is nothing but wonder and endless joy.
Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."
Moses said to the people: "Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God, has directed all your journeying in the desert, so as to test you by affliction and find out whether or not it was your intention to keep his commandments. He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna, a food unknown to you and your fathers, in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD.
"Do not forget the LORD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery; who guided you through the vast and terrible desert with its saraph serpents and scorpions, its parched and waterless ground; who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock and fed you in the desert with manna, a food unknown to your fathers." Responsorial Psalm PS 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
R/ (12) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. or: R/ Alleluia. Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion. For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you. R/ Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. or: R/ Alleluia. He has granted peace in your borders; with the best of wheat he fills you. He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word! R/ Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. or: R/ Alleluia. He has proclaimed his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel. He has not done thus for any other nation; his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia. R/ Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. or: R/ Alleluia. Reading 2 1 COR 10:16-17
Brothers and sisters: The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
S. FAUSTI - The text has two levels of reading. It is always possible a second reading, because every word means some thing else and, at the end, means the Other. This is worth in particular for the Gospel of John, which, instead of telling the transfiguration, makes of it the lens through which to look at everything else.
RispondiEliminaIn fact, it sees with the new eye and new heart of the one who loves, who in all things sees the Face of the Loved one. This vision, far from being "visionary", is the most real of alls, because it is made in the light of the One who is Light and Life of what exists.
The first level of reading, however scandalous,it is understandable also for listeners of Jesus. Asserting that He is the bread of Life and that His flesh is the true flesh of the new Exodus, Jesus attributes to Himself the prerogatives of the Word. He shows Himself indeed as the fulfillment of what mean exodus and alliance , and even before creation, : God's plan of communicating His life to man.
Eating and Assimilating Him, the beloved Son of the Father who loves the brothers, is the new law. To those who do not believe that He can give Eternal Life because He is man, He replies that just His humanity is the ultimate revelation of God. For this reason, the one who does not accept Him, does not accomplish the works of God and does not receive Life.
The second level of reading is transparent to the Christian mystery: it is a true homily about the Eucharist. His Flesh is not metaphorical: it is truly His Body given to us. Whoever eats His Flesh , true bread, feeds on Him, receives the supreme gift of God: the Body and the Blood of the Son, who puts him in communion of Life and with Him and with the Father.
John, in his own style, does not mention the institution of the Eucharist, which readers know; instead, he prefers to make understand the deep mystery, exposing what the other Gospels leave implicitly .
Speaking of Flesh and Blood, they allude to the cross where Jesus will give His Body and will shed His Blood. It is His humanity that gives man what of which every thing is sign: God Itself as a Gift of Itself. For it we enter in Communion with the Son of God who became the Son of Man. Every other bread is symbol of this which is the reality.
Because of this we take any crumb of bread - every reality, how small it is - as sign of Father's love, we thank Him and we share with the brothers, making move on round Son's Life into every thing and for everyone. Eucharist is truly the salvation of us and of the whole world .In fact, He makes us children in the Son, in communion with the Father, with the brothers and with all creation. What is not the object of the Eucharist is dead and infected with death. This ending of the dialogue makes us enter into the mystery of that "overmore" of bread that is by now present in every fragment of creation: it is God Himself who gives us to live of Him, of His Love. In fact, any gift implies the gift of oneself.
Creation, Exodus, and Alliance find their fullness in the Eucharist: it is the seventh day feast, the freedom of children, the marriage between Creator and creature, the rest of one in the other. In front of a God who gives Himself us – how He can not given Himself if He is Love-
There is nothing but wonder and endless joy.
Gospel JN 6:51-58
RispondiEliminaJesus said to the Jewish crowds:
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my flesh for the life of the world."
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,
"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
Jesus said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day.
For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
remains in me and I in him.
Just as the living Father sent me
and I have life because of the Father,
so also the one who feeds on me
will have life because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven.
Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,
whoever eats this bread will live forever."
Reading 1 DT 8:2-3, 14B-16A
RispondiEliminaMoses said to the people:
"Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God,
has directed all your journeying in the desert,
so as to test you by affliction
and find out whether or not it was your intention
to keep his commandments.
He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger,
and then fed you with manna,
a food unknown to you and your fathers,
in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live,
but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD.
"Do not forget the LORD, your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
that place of slavery;
who guided you through the vast and terrible desert
with its saraph serpents and scorpions,
its parched and waterless ground;
who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock
and fed you in the desert with manna,
a food unknown to your fathers."
Responsorial Psalm PS 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
R/ (12) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R/ Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R/ Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R/ Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R/ Alleluia.
Reading 2 1 COR 10:16-17
Brothers and sisters:
The cup of blessing that we bless,
is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?
The bread that we break,
is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
Because the loaf of bread is one,
we, though many, are one body,
for we all partake of the one loaf.