Restoration
Posted May 25, 2006 in The Pope's Corner:
The Bread of Life
by Pope Benedict XVI.
Alluding to the Eucharist, Christ said, "This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike our ancestors who ate the manna from heaven and died, he who eats this bread will live forever" (Jn 6:58).
In taking flesh, the Son of God could become Bread and thus be the nourishment of his people, of us, journeying in this world toward the promised land of Heaven. We need this Bread to face the fatigue and weariness of our journey.
Sunday, the Lord’s Day, is a good opportunity to draw strength from him, the Lord of life.
The Sunday precept is not, therefore, an externally imposed duty, a burden on our shoulders. On the contrary, taking part in the Celebration, being nourished by the Eucharistic Bread and experiencing the communion of their brothers and sisters in Christ is a need for Christians. It is a joy; Christians can thus replenish the energy we need to continue on the journey we must make every week.
Moreover, this is not an arbitrary journey: the path that God points out to us through his Word goes in the direction inscribed in man’s very existence. The Word of God and reason go together.
For the human being, following the Word of God, going with Christ means fulfilling oneself; losing it is equivalent to losing oneself.
The Lord does not leave us alone on this journey. He is with us; indeed he wishes to share our destiny to the point of identifying with us.
He says, "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him" (Jn 6:56).
How is it possible not to rejoice in such a promise?
— Excerpted from the pope’s homily at the concluding Mass of the 24th Eucharistic Congress for the Church of Italy on the Feast of Corpus Christi, May 29, 2005.
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