Health Food for the Soul

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 119

 

L-20 Ħadd matul is-Sena B

Messalin B pp 441

 

Reading 1        PRoVerbs 9:1-6

Wisdom has built her house, she has set up her seven columns; she has dressed her meat, mixed her wine, yes, she has spread her table. She has sent out her maidens; she calls from the heights out over the city: “Let whoever is simple turn in here; To the one who lacks understanding, she says, Come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have mixed! Forsake foolishness that you may live; advance in the way of understanding.”   This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Qari     -   mill-Ktieb tal-Proverbji 9, 1-6

Il-Għerf  bena d-dar tiegħu,  waqqaf  is-seba' kolonn i tagħha; qatel il-bhejjem imsemmna, ħejja l-inbid  u l-mejda tiegħu. U  bagħat il-qaddejja jxandru   l-istedina minn  fuq l-imkejjen għolja tal-belt: "Min hu ċkejken ħa jiġi għandi!" U min hu bla moħħ jgħidlu: "Ejjew, kulu ħobż tiegħi u ixorbu l-inbid li ħejjejt għalikom. Warrbu l-bluħat tagħkom, u tgħixu, u timxu 'l quddiem fl-għaqal." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm                     PSalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

 Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Salm Responsojali     -    Salm  33  (34)

                       R/ Ippruvaw  u taraw kemm hu tajjeb il-Mulej

Kull  ħin inbierek 'il-Mulej.

Tifħiru dejjem f'fommi.

Bil-Mulej tiftaħar ruħi,

jisimgħu l-fqajrin u jifirħu!                                          R/

Ibżgħu mill-Mulej, qaddisin tiegħu,

xejn ma  jonqsu min jibża' minnu.

Is-setgħana jiftaqru u jbata l-ġuħ;

min ifittex il-Mulej xejn ma jkun jonqsu.                             R/

Ejjew, uliedi, isimgħu  lili;

jiena l-biża tal-Mulej ngħallimkom.

Min hu l-bniedem li jħobb il-ħajja,

u jixtieq jara għomru kullu riżq?                                               R/

Ħares ilsienek mill-ħażen,

u  xofftejk minn kliem il-qerq.

Tbiegħed mill-ħażen u agħmel it-tajjeb,

fittex is-sliem u  imxi warajh.                                    R/

Reading 2                     EPHesians 5:15-20

Brothers and sisters: Watch carefully how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore, do not continue in  ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord.  And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Qari  -  mill-Ittra lill-Efesin 5, 15-20

Ħuti,  qisu sewwa kif iġġibu ruħkom,  mhux bħal nies bla dehen, iżda bħal nies għorrief,  li jgħożżu ż-żmien, għaliex ħżiena  huma l-jiem.   Għalhekk tkunux bla għaqal,  imma fittxu x'inhi  r-rieda tal-Mulej. U tiskrux bl-inbid, li fih hemm ħajja bla lġiem,  iżda mtlew bl-Ispirtu. Kantaw flimkien salmi,  innijiet u għana spiritwali;  kantaw u għannu  minn qalbkom lill-Mulej. Roddu dejjem ħajr għal kollox lil Alla u   l-Missier,f'isem Sidna Ġesu' Kristu. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                      JohN 6:51-58

Jesus said to the 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.”  This is the Word of the Lord.

Qari mill-Evanġelju skond San Ġwann 6, 51 -58

F'dak iż-żmien,   Ġesu' qal lin-nies;  "Jien hu l-ħobż ħaj, li niżel mis-sema.    Jekk xi ħadd jiekol minn dan il-ħobż jgħix għal dejjem.  U l-ħobż jiena nagħti huwa ġismi għal ħajja ta' dejjem." Fuq hekk il-Lhud tlewwmu bejniethom, u bdew jgħidu: "Kif jista' dan jagħtina ġismu biex nikluh?"  Ġesu' mela, qalilhom:  "Tassew, tassew ngħidilkom jekk  ma tiklux  il-ġisem ta' Bin il-bniedem u ma tixorbux demmu,  ma jkollkomx il-ħajja fikom.     Min jiekol ġismi u jixrob demmi għandu l-ħajja ta' dejjem,  u  jiena  nqajmu mill-imwiet fl-aħħar jum.   Għax ġismi huwa  ikel tassew, u demmi hu tassew  xorb. Min jiekol ġismi u jixrob demmi, jibqa fija u jiena fih. Bħalma bagħatni l-Missier,  li hu ħaj, u jien ngħix b'Missieri,  hekk ukoll min jiekol lili,  hu wkoll igħix bija.    Dan huwa l-ħobż li niżel mis-sema; mhuwiex bħal dak  li kielu missirijietkom  u mietu; min jiekol dan   il-ħobż igħix għal dejjem." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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HEALTH FOOD  FOR THE SOUL –

by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB, CEO, Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation

In chapter six of John’s Gospel (v. 41-51), Jesus speaks of himself as “the living bread that came down from heaven” and invites his hearers to eat of this bread – that is, to believe in him.  He promises that those who do so will have eternal life. Jesus compares himself to the manna that came down from heaven to sustain the people of Israel in the wilderness. It is a vivid image that certainly evokes important memories for the people of Israel.

Then in John 6:51, Jesus says, “The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” Then his hearers ask: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Did they respond in this way to give Jesus a chance to explain himself? Surely, they may have imagined, Jesus meant to say something else. After all, to eat someone’s flesh appears in the Bible as a metaphor for great hostility (Psalms 27:2; Zechariah 11:9). The drinking of blood was looked upon as an abomination forbidden by God’s law (Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 3:17; Deuteronomy 12:23).

Yet Jesus responds to the question by further explaining his initial declaration with explicit terms: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in them. ”No observant Jew would consider eating human flesh. We may ask ourselves: “Why couldn’t Jesus continue using such pleasant terms as “abiding,” “dwelling,” “living in me” terminology? Was he advocating pure cannibalism with such vivid imagery and language?

Flesh and blood

Jesus makes his sacrifice on behalf of the world – not just Israel (see also John 3:16-17). The Hebrew expression “flesh and blood” means the whole person. To receive the whole Jesus entails receiving his flesh and blood. To encounter Jesus means, in part, to encounter the flesh and blood of him. For those who receive Jesus, the whole Jesus, his life clings to their bones and courses through their veins. He can no more be taken from a believer’s life than last Saturday’s dinner can be extricated from one’s body.

True reception of Jesus

In our cerebral approach to religion we often assume that what really matters is believing some important religious dogmas or truths. Receiving Jesus can be reduced to a matter of intellectual assent. There are times, however, when we can be particularly grateful that the presence of Christ is not something that can be recognized cerebrally, but can be received by other means as well.  The bread that Jesus used to feed the 5,000 on the mountaintop was something less than true bread, because it satisfied the people’s hunger only momentarily. By way of contrast, Jesus’ flesh and blood are true food because “whoever eats of this bread will live forever” (v 51) – and “has eternal life” (v 54).

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven” (v 51a). This “living bread” parallels the “living water” that Jesus offered the Samaritan woman (4:10). To eat of this bread, in this context, means the once-and-for-all action of accepting or believing in Christ.

The ways we eat

Our eating style reflects and affects who and what we are. It identifies our approach to life. If we examine various societies and cultures, we see that each has its traditional foods and food rituals. “I am of Italian descent. I often eat spaghetti, lasagna, tortellini alla panna or pizza,” or “I am a real American. I eat hamburgers, hot dogs, steak, coke, and French fries.”   “I am Québecois. I feast on poutine and drink maple syrup.” The French eat crepes, Belgians eat waffles, Chinese eat rice, Palestinians and Israelis eat falafel, the Swiss eat chocolate, and Inuit eat whale blubber. In short, the “way we eat” reveals how we identify ourselves. It reflects and often determines our worldview, our values, and our entire approach to life.

Foods are much more than just a collection of nutrients; they are a wealth of influences and connotations. Rare foods and spices are treasured as special culinary delights. Some foods are worshiped in various cultures as having an unusual holiness or are avoided altogether. The type of food we choose can affect our moods. Hot, spicy, or stimulating foods may influence many of us toward hot-temperedness or nervousness. Cooling foods can relax us and give us peace of mind. Foods can help us celebrate and can comfort us when we mourn. They are a sign of love and are a means of uniting people on many occasions.

The “ways we eat” are an important part of our heritage. The soul is not nourished by physical bread, as the body is. The food we eat is actually a combination of both a physical and a spiritual entity. The body is nourished by the physical aspects, or nutrients, contained in the foods we eat; the soul is nourished by the spiritual power which enlivens the physical substance of all matter, including food.

For all who seek the presence of Christ, Jesus’ teaching in John’s Gospel is good news indeed: “We are what we eat.” We become what receive in the Eucharist. This week, let us examine our spiritual diets and look at the things that truly give us life, and those things that are junk foods that don’t lead us to eternal life.

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