Dear friends in Christ

The final segment of the Eucharistic Discourse in the Gospel of St John is read for us at Mass this Sunday. Jesus throws down the gauntlet. They complain about His teaching them that He is the Bread of Eternal Life and that we must feed on Him. Many of the Jews walked away, incredulous and repelled by such teaching. So Jesus wants to know who His true disciples will be and challenges the Twelve, asking them: Will you also go away? It is Peter who speaks for the rest: To whom shall we go, You alone have the words of eternal life. They recognise in Jesus the Saviour of the world. Every time we attend Holy Mass we too affirm our hope in eternal life and that Jesus Himself feeds us on His Word and on His Sacrament. Through the Eucharist, Jesus teaches us to look upon the present with the eyes of eternity. We find in the Holy Eucharist the strength we need to undertake what remains of our journey to the Father’s house. The Holy Eucharist is an eternal pledge to us.

It assures us of Heaven. This is the dowry sent to us by Heaven as a promise that one day it will be our resting place. What is more, Jesus Christ will cause our bodies to rise again with greater glory, insofar as we have frequently and reverently received Him in Holy Communion (St John Vianney).

I will conclude my reflections on the Mass next weekend—after the wonderful interlude of Mary’s Assumption last Sunday—as we think about the Eucharistic Prayer this weekend and finally the Communion Rite.

I wish you all a blessed week ahead and God’s blessing!

Msgr Kevin Hale