“My Father giveth you the true bread from Heaven” (John 6:32) says the Lord as He preaches to the people at Capernaum, and He continues, “For the bread of God is He Which cometh down from Heaven and giveth life unto the world.” (John 6:33) “Then they said unto Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life….” (John 6:34-35)
How can the finite and darkened mind of fallen man understand the Great Mysteries of Holy Communion? For man this is impossible, but not with God, for He says, “I am the living bread which came down from Heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51) This bread, this flesh, this God, we eat and drink and thereby are united with Him, for “My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.” (John 6:55) Is this a hard saying for our worldly ears? Are we offended as some of His murmuring disciples “who went back, and walked with Him no more”? (John 6:66) Christ stands here in the chalice and calls us to Everlasting Life. Let us go there very soon.