A very interesting story in our first reading today from Acts 8. The Holy Spirit sends Philip, one of the Twelve, to interpret the Scriptures for an Ethiopian eunuch. After this, the eunuch says, “Look, there is water. What is to prevent me from being baptized?” Philip baptizes him, then disappears. This passage always reminds me that the Twelve, and their successors, were given the authority to interpret the Scriptures.
We’re back in the Bread of Life discourse in John 6 for our Gospel reading. Up to this point, Jesus has been talking only about bread. Many people say that Jesus was speaking symbolically or metaphorically. And one might be able to pull that interpretation off…until you get to verse 51. “The bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.”
Now Jesus begins to equate the bread with His Flesh. Now things begin to get dicey. I imagine that, at this point, people were beginning to squirm. They may have begun to think like this: Well, I get the whole thing about eating bread, but now he’s talking about his flesh! Where is this guy going with all this? I’m sure that the people listening didn’t get it. Unfortunately, many today still don’t. Let’s pray that we will continue to get it.
Father, help us to unravel and understand more the mystery of the Eucharist…that the bread is the Flesh, just as Jesus said. Amen.
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