Reflection for the Twenty-first Sunday of Ordinary Time, 2024

Reflection for the 21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Gospel according to John: 6:60-69)

Receiving Holy Communion regularly and worthily gives us eternal life. In the sixth Chapter of John’s Gospel we hear Jesus’ discourse on receiving the Bread of Life.  He tells his disciple and followers that He is the Bread of Life come down from Heaven. He says that unless they eat of His flesh and drink His blood they will have no life in them.

Many of His followers and some of His disciples left Him because this was a hard saying and it was difficult to grasp what eating His flesh and drinking His blood truly meant.  However, the apostles stayed.  Peter tells us that they had “come to believe that [He] was the Holy One of God. That [He] had the words of eternal life.”

Throughout history, and even today, many have questioned Jesus’ true presence in the Eucharist and have had doubts about what truly happens during the Mass (Transubstantiation.)  God knows our needs, and doubts, and has allowed there to be many different Eucharistic miracles in the world to help us understand Christ’s words in Scripture, to strengthen our faith, and to aid us in our unbelief (see Eucharistic Miracles of the World by Bl. Carlo Acutis [1991-2006].

In 1905 Pope Saint Pius X decreed the frequency of Holy Communion for all Catholics in a state of Grace. Later, in 1910, this same Pope decreed that children who have reached the age of reason, around seven years old, were permitted to receive the Eucharist.  The Holy Father explained his reason for this change by pointing out how Jesus wished for all children to come to Him.

“Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 19:14)

Holy Communion established by Christ was not only for a single moment in time.  Not just for His disciples and Apostles then, but for all people for all time!  For me…for you…

Have a blessed week.