Lectio Reflection - Corpus Christi - John 6:51-58
Summary
TLDRThis lecture reflection on the feast of Corpus Christi explores the metaphor of Jesus as the 'Living Bread' from the Gospel of John. It delves into the Eucharist as a sacrament of both receiving and commitment, emphasizing the necessity of a deeper connection to the divine through the Eucharistic celebration. The discussion invites participants to consider the transformative impact of the Eucharist on their daily lives, encouraging a more conscious approach to communion as an act of self-giving and spiritual nourishment.
Takeaways
- 🍞 The discourse emphasizes that Jesus is the 'Living Bread' that gives eternal life to those who partake in it.
- 📖 The Gospel of John, particularly in chapter 6, discusses the 'Bread of Life' discourse, which is a significant part of the Christian understanding of the Eucharist.
- 🤔 The script raises questions about the absence of the Last Supper's record in John's Gospel and ponders its implications.
- 🕊 The Eucharist is portrayed as a transformative act that requires commitment and participation, not just as a ritual but as a covenant.
- 🔄 The Eucharist is described as a sacrament of initiation and commitment, where believers renew their basic commitment to their faith journey.
- 🌱 The metaphor of 'eating the flesh and drinking the blood' of Jesus is used to convey the idea of receiving spiritual nourishment and entering into a covenant with God.
- 👨👩👧👦 The passage invites reflection on the personal impact of the Eucharist and how it should influence one's daily life beyond the church's doors.
- 💭 The script encourages a deeper consideration of what it means to receive the Eucharist and the difference it should make in one's life.
- 🕊️ The idea of the Eucharist as a commitment is highlighted, suggesting that partaking in it is a pledge to live a life of Christian discipleship.
- 🙏 The importance of grounding resolutions in prayer and seeking spiritual guidance to fulfill commitments is underscored.
- 🔚 The conclusion of the script with the Eucharistic prayer ties back to the theme of reverence for the sacrament and the desire for redemption through Christ.
Q & A
What is the central theme of the lecture on the feast of Corpus Christi?
-The central theme of the lecture is the reflection on the Eucharist as the 'Bread of Life' discourse from the Gospel of John, emphasizing the importance of the Eucharist in Christian spirituality and life.
What is the significance of Jesus referring to himself as 'The Living Bread'?
-Jesus referring to himself as 'The Living Bread' signifies that he is the source of eternal life, and by partaking in the Eucharist, believers can have a spiritual connection with him and attain eternal life.
Why did some of the Jewish hearers and disciples walk away during Jesus' discourse on the bread of life?
-Some of the Jewish hearers and disciples walked away because they found the idea of eating Jesus' flesh and drinking his blood as metaphors for spiritual nourishment difficult to comprehend and accept.
What does the lecturer suggest about the Eucharist and the Christian life?
-The lecturer suggests that the Eucharist is integral to the Christian life, representing a commitment to the covenant that Jesus established through his sacrifice, and is not just an isolated event but a continuous journey of faith.
How does the lecturer interpret the Eucharist as a sacrament of initiation?
-The lecturer interprets the Eucharist as a sacrament of initiation by stating that it involves not only receiving but also committing oneself to the covenant, making it a foundational aspect of a believer's spiritual journey.
What is the connection between the Eucharist and the idea of a covenant according to the lecture?
-The connection between the Eucharist and the idea of a covenant is that partaking in the Eucharist signifies a commitment to the new covenant that Jesus established through his sacrifice, similar to how agreements were made in Jesus' time by offering a sacrifice.
What personal reflection does the lecturer encourage regarding the Eucharist?
-The lecturer encourages personal reflection on the significance of receiving the Eucharist, contemplating how it impacts one's daily life beyond the church doors and what difference it makes in one's commitment to Christian discipleship.
What is the lecturer's resolution regarding their participation in the Eucharist?
-The lecturer's resolution is to be more conscious of the act of giving oneself during the reception of communion and to not argue with oneself about attending mass, but to simply be present more often.
How does the story of the prisoner on death row requesting Holy Communion impact the lecturer's perspective on the Eucharist?
-The story of the prisoner requesting Holy Communion as his last meal deeply impacts the lecturer, prompting reflection on the purpose of receiving the Eucharist and its transformative power in one's life.
What prayer does the lecturer conclude with, and what is its significance?
-The lecturer concludes with the Eucharistic prayer from the liturgy of the day, which is a prayer to revere the sacred mysteries of Christ's body and blood, seeking the fruits of redemption in one's life.
Outlines
🍞 Introduction and Reflection on Corpus Christi
The speaker welcomes viewers to the Center for Christian Spirituality and introduces the lecture reflection on the feast of Corpus Christi. The script includes a reading from the Gospel of John where Jesus describes himself as the Living Bread and emphasizes the importance of eating his flesh and drinking his blood to attain eternal life. The discourse is analyzed, explaining that Jesus is the bread of life, and the Eucharist is central to Christian life and discipleship. The significance of the Eucharist as more than just an event is discussed, highlighting its role in daily Christian living and commitment.
❤️ The Human Expression of Divine Love
This paragraph delves into the metaphor of Jesus as the bread of life, describing it as both extraordinary and ordinary. It compares the act of feeding loved ones to Jesus' desire to nourish his followers with his flesh and blood. The speaker invites listeners to reflect on the passage and its implications for their lives. The paragraph emphasizes the intimate and human aspects of divine love and nourishment, encouraging a deeper connection with the Eucharist and its meaning.
🕊️ Commitment Through the Eucharist
The paragraph explores the cultural context of Jesus' time, where agreements were sealed with a sacrifice. This context is applied to the Eucharist, suggesting that receiving communion is a commitment to the covenant established by Jesus. The speaker reflects on the Eucharist as a sacrament of initiation and a renewal of one's commitment to the journey towards God. Personal resolutions and reflections on the significance of the Eucharist in daily life are shared, emphasizing the transformative impact of communion.
🙏 Personal Reflections and Prayer
This final paragraph invites viewers to consider the personal implications of the scripture and make commitments based on their reflections. It underscores the importance of prayer in grounding and fulfilling these resolutions. The speaker concludes the lecture by thanking viewers and inviting them to future discussions. The paragraph ends with a Eucharistic prayer, asking for the grace to revere the sacred mysteries and experience the fruits of redemption through Christ.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Corpus Christi
💡Eucharist
💡Bread of Life
💡Eternal Life
💡Discipleship
💡Covenant
💡Sacrifice
💡Spirituality
💡Last Supper
💡Faithful
💡Redemption
Highlights
Introduction to the lecture on the feast of Corpus Christi with a reflection on the scripture of the Bread of Life.
Jesus' discourse on being the living bread that came down from heaven and the necessity of consuming his flesh and blood for eternal life.
The confusion and disputes among the Jews about Jesus' metaphor of his flesh and blood for consumption.
The explanation of the metaphor's significance in the Christian Eucharist and its relation to eternal life.
The Gospel of John's unique perspective on the Eucharist, contrasting with other Gospels that record the Last Supper.
The Bread of Life discourse from the Gospel of John and its importance in understanding the Eucharist.
The transformative nature of the Eucharist and its role in Christian discipleship.
The idea that the Eucharist is not an isolated event but a continuous commitment to Christian life.
The historical evolution of the feast of Corpus Christi and its current significance in fostering communion with Jesus.
The balance between adoration and involvement in the Eucharistic celebration and its impact on daily life.
The metaphor of bread and flesh as ordinary yet profound elements of human sustenance and divine love.
The natural human instinct to feed those we love as an expression of Jesus' desire to nourish his followers.
The Eucharist as a sacrament of initiation, commitment, and the foundation of the Christian journey to God.
Personal reflections on the importance of being conscious during the reception of communion and its impact on life outside the church.
The story of a prisoner on death row requesting Holy Communion as his last meal, prompting reflection on the purpose of the Eucharist.
The resolution to attend mass more frequently without hesitation, recognizing the transformative power of the Eucharist.
The conclusion of the lecture with a prayer for the courage and spirit to fulfill commitments made through the Eucharist.
Transcripts
[Music]
welcome to the Center for Christian
spirituality thank you for joining us on
this lecture reflection on the feast of
Corpus Christi I am The Living bread
that came down from heaven whoever eats
of this bread will live forever and the
bread that I will give you for the life
of the world is my flesh the Jews then
disputed among themselves saying how can
this man give us his flesh to eat so
jesus said to them very truly I tell you
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of
Man and drink his blood you have no life
in you those who eat my flesh and drink
my blood have eternal life and I will
raise them up on the last day for my
flesh is true food and my blood is true
drink those who eat my flesh and drink
my blood abide in me and I in then just
as the living father sent me and I live
because of the father so whoever eats me
will live because of me
this is the bread that came down from
heaven not like that which our ancestors
ate and they died but the one who eats
this bread will live forever the author
of the Gospel of John does not record
the words and actions of Jesus over the
brave and the wine at the last summer
and one wonders why we don't know the
answer but he certainly did not ignore
the university of ink because in chapter
6 he has this course that we call the
bread of life discourse and the gospel
that we are reading today is a part of
that particular discourse and the point
being made in the beginning of the
discourse is that Jesus is the bread of
life that he is the one that has come
from
is teaching that is the important thing
he spoke about the leaven of the
Pharisees the blade of the Pharisees as
representing their teaching
but as think discourse goes on and he
begins to talk about eating inflation
greening is glad the Jewish hearers
began to walk away and even some of the
disciples and Jesus said in the end to
the Apostles for you to go away they
said the room worship should we go you
have the words of eternal life
so the Brady I think is a big
Eucharistic reference and the point
being made is that the Eucharist and the
Christian life cannot really sleep with
things and if you like the way of life
of the Christians in Eucharistic way of
life and to eat and drink and it gives
life and the light that it gives is the
life of Christian discipleship and again
if we reflect on the events we can see
you've entered the Eucharist we can see
that it's not just an isolated event
that we bring to the Eucharist our self
giving and we take it away and live more
deeply after the event so I think the
gospel today is both liturgy life you've
enter the Eucharist and the living of
the university life outside the
particular event the things for that
data because this is a C's Testament
that's change significantly like from
the 13th century to the mid 20th century
a feast that was at I say
disrespectfully of gazing whereas now
it's taking us on another trajectory to
communion with Jesus and I'm not saying
that the the former is unimportant but
how do we create the balance in our
lives so it's the adoration to involve
and we go get them numerous yeah the
thing that really strikes me about this
passage is how such a mysterious extraor
Neri metaphor I am the bread of life but
that the metaphor itself is so ordinary
when it comes down when you think about
bread and and flesh and blood they're
not extraordinary they're pertaining to
humanity and I suppose the other thing
that strikes me is the way those you
love I truly love you you want to feed
you want to give them the sustenance to
keep going on a daily basis and it
sounds quite pedestrian but I know as
parent this idea of feeding is so
natural to those that you love
and so to me this is a great expression
of I want to abide in you and the eating
and the drinking of my flesh and blood
is that way of saying it it's most human
that that's the way I feed you with my
love we invite you now to consider what
this passage what strikes you about this
passage
so we invite you now to listen
scripture read second time I am The
Living bread that came down from heaven
whoever eats this bread will live
forever and the bread that I will give
for the life of the world is my flesh
the Jews then disputed among themselves
saying how can this man give us his
flesh to eat so jesus said to them very
truly I tell you unless you eat the
flesh of the Son of Man and drink his
blood you have no life in you
those who eat my flesh and drink my
blood have eternal life and I will raise
them up on the last day for my flesh is
true food and my blood is true drink
those who eat my flesh and drink my
blood abide in me and I in them just as
the living father sent me and I live
because of the father so ever eat me
will live because of me this is the
bread that came down from heaven not
like that which your ancestors and they
died but the one who eat this bread will
live forever
you both made the rate of how this is a
common it means that basically fits into
the text but I think there was another
common T means that is not common to us
but would have been common at the time
of Jesus and at the time of Jesus when
people made an agreement they would
offer a sacrifice and you didn't sign at
the bottom of a document you add of the
sacrifice in order to commit yourself to
the agreement
so the texas-ou has it is that we eat
and uh nourish and therefore we have
eternal life but looking at in that
other use of the practice of the time we
come to the Eucharist we are committing
ourselves that when Jesus said and take
my flesh and and eat it and take my
blood and drink it he was saying are you
willing to be part of the Covenant which
I am bringing about through this
sacrifice and I like to suggest that
point out that the Eucharist is a third
sacrament of initiation the dect ism we
receive but also we commitment
confirmation we receive but also we
commit and in the Eucharist will receive
but we renew that basic commitment that
is the foundation of our journey to God
and I think my resolution is that I
would like to be more conscious at the
time of the reception of communion of it
as a giving of myself as much as
receiving from the law it's beautiful I
I'm haunted in some way by something I
read just after Easter and it plays
around around in my mind and
particularly in the light of the
Eucharist the eight prisoners on death
row in Alabama or Arkansas not sure and
the customary theme when they're going
to be executed is what do they want for
their last meeting ISM and one of them
on death row when asked said that what
he wanted was Holy Communion and it just
threw me because I began to think well
what is it
the purpose of our receiving the
Eucharist I guess it comes back to that
is that David it's not so much what I
received that what am I to keep so that
when they go outside the doors of the
church what difference does it make to
me now that I have been in communion
with the risen Lord and I guess that's
what for myself that I'd like over the
coming week to probe a little more
deeply what does it mean for me to
receive the Eucharist what difference
does it make in my life when I get
beyond the doors of the church my
resolution is get very simple it's to
not argue with myself about should I or
shouldn't I go to this particular mass
or that or can I get there by five
o'clock but just to go just to be there
because I think in a way being part of
that Eucharistic celebration it does
touch you in some way but I can get all
I quickly do the shopping or I'll
quickly do that then not to have the
argument just do just turn up more often
we invite you now to consider what the
scripture means for you in your daily
life what do you commit to as a result
of it
we can do nothing on our own our
resolutions have to be grounded and
formed in our prayer so we invite you
now to take a moment to pray for the
courage and the spirit to be able to
fulfill those commitments
and to conclude we thank you for joining
us for this lecture reflection on the
festival Corpus Christi and invite you
back next week where we look forward to
discussing with you once again these
Sunday readings but we will conclude now
with the Eucharistic prayer all know
it's the beginning prayer from the
liturgy of the day Oh God
who in this wonderful sacrament have
left us a memorial of your passion grant
as we pray so to revere the sacred
mysteries of your body and blood that we
may always experience in ourselves the
fruits of your redemption through Christ
our Lord
you
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