Sunday, August 16, 2015

Homily for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle B

Readings:

1st Reading:       Proverbs 9:1-6
Psalm:                Psalm 34:2-7
2nd Reading:      Ephesians 5:15-20
Gospel:               John 6:51-58

     Don’t you think we just about have an obsession with food in this country? For one thing, we are really concerned about what goes into our food, including additives, and dyes and preservatives. Plus we have at least two cable TV channels devoted to food and cooking. Not to mention the commercials for all kinds of food and restaurants. And people are always posting on Facebook where they are eating and what they are having.

     Over the last four weeks we have been listening to the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John – and each week we have heard another aspect of Jesus as the Bread of Life, beginning with him feeding the five thousand plus, and continuing to today when he says that we must eat his body and drink his blood in order to have life.

     This feeding and eating theme obviously has overtones about the Eucharist and Mass– and I wonder what effect our cultural images of eating have on our approach to the Eucharist. What is it that you expect to find when you come to this table?

     Maybe some of us come to the Eucharist only wanting a snack – you know, you don’t want to fill up too much so you can save room for other important things. You don’t really want to think too heavily about anything – it will just be too much to digest.

     Maybe some come to Mass like it’s a fast-food restaurant. We come in as late as we can, we leave as soon as we can, and we don’t see any real substance or enjoyment of the food while we’re here – we just want to kind of “get it over with”. Oh, and if they could find a way to have a drive-through feature, that would be GREAT!

     Or maybe some look at Sunday Mass like it’s a Chinese buffet. We really appreciate all the interesting things in front of us, but we really don’t like all of them. We like to have a lot choice, but we really want to pick and choose what we eat. We might like a lot of spiritual stories, but if someone starts talking about abortion, we’d rather just leave that off of our plate. Or we might really like the prayers and the songs, but if we are called to feed the poor, it’s really kind of distasteful.

     It might be that some people think of the Mass like they are having a private, intimate dinner with their friend, Jesus. No one else really counts as long as they have their time with him and can have a nice one-on-one visit with him.

     Perhaps some see the Eucharist like a family meal where we’re all gathered around the table sharing our common experiences, our hopes and our fears, our challenges and our aspirations. And each of us has brought something to share and pass around, and as we are together we strengthen the bonds of the family and our own understanding of who we are and why we are here.

     Some might see the Eucharist like a banquet – the kind that Woman Wisdom is throwing in the first reading. It is a grand event where all are invited and we are sure to have rich foods and fine wine, and we are not expected to bring anything other than ourselves. It is a feast that becomes a significant event in our relationship with God and with one another. We come as guests but we leave as friends – with Jesus as a part of us and we as a part of him.

     So which is it for you? Like Woman Wisdom, Jesus invites us to his feast, to this table, to share in his wisdom and his very life – so that he can remain in us and we can remain in him. And by being a part of him we become him for others – ready to serve, to give of ourselves to our brothers and sisters for the life of the world.

     Jesus invites us all to this table. What kind of meal do you expect when you come here?



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