To start with, the photo I used for this homily is not Jesus. It is the image of Jonathan Roumie, the guy who played Jesus in the Chosen. The prints on his shirt were taken from the American novelist Flannery O'Connor’s response to a friend who described the Eucharist as a “pretty good symbol." O’Connor said, “If it's just a symbol, to hell with it.” Please know this, the Eucharist is not a symbol. It is the True Presence of Christ with us.
Jonathan Roumie made an interesting joke when he addressed the National Eucharistic Congress audience in Indiana this past July when he called himself, the “TV Jesus,” and gave a disclaimer. Thus he says, “I’m pretending to be Jesus on a TV show. Not the Real Jesus. I’m only the TV Jesus.” He said that with such a compelling sense of humility couched in humor. In acting the role of Jesus in the Chosen, Jonathan captures the intense anxiety he feels the whole time because, as a Catholic, he experiences the weight of such a supernatural role based on the reality of what it is we believe, what the host represents, and who it is we receive when this host and wine become the true flesh and blood of Christ.
I will return to Jonathan’s message at the end of this reflection. Before then, let’s look at what the gospel presents to us in this Bread of life discourse. Again, I will do this as a cast in scenes, providing a summary for each scene. Let’s remember that Moses had earlier said to the Israelites in the Old Testament, "This is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat" (Ex. 16:15).
Scenes from John’s Gospel 6:24-35
Scene 1: Stage opens with Jesus and his disciples departing. The people go after them. You could see from the first question asked by this people that they are confused. A close look at the progression of this question, “When did you get here?” to the last question, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?” will show the length of journey which Jesus takes them through. It starts with the physical and ends with the spiritual journey of faith and transformation. That is what Jesus does.
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"
Scene 2: Everyone converges at Capernaum. Why exactly are they looking for? What do we expect when we come to Jesus? What is it that we hope to get from God as believers? Even though God provides us with physical food and sustenance, his ultimate goal for us is to be saved. We must believe in God for the right reasons, even though we go through suffering and trials at times.
Jesus answered them and said, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signsbut because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.For on him the Father, God, has set his seal."
Scene 3: In matters of faith, astonishment and surprise are key factors for spiritual growth. Here, their expectation is limited as it represents what they want. Although God expects us to reciprocate to his works in us, the real work is done by God. The people show their ignorance by asking Jesus what he wants them to do for God.
So they said to him, "What can we do to accomplish the works of God?"
Scene 4: Jesus takes them deeper. Rather than think about what you should do, first seek what God is doing with/in you. It is God that transforms us, only then does our action flow accordingly. Faith is God’s work in us.
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent."
Scene 5: The words move them to reflect on their past. But their cognition and focus begin to shift. Their question begins to align with God’s expectations. Faith opens us up to identifying and understanding God’s signs in our lives. The comparison between Moses and Jesus in this passage is a step forward, though limited. Moses was a representation of God’s presence for the Israelites. Now they want something similar from Jesus. Yet, the little Thomas shows up from time to time.
So they said to him, "What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat."
Scene 6: Jesus reveals why he leads them to Capernaum. God uses signs only to point to his existence and presence in our midst. When we receive signs, we should be drawn to God who is the author and finisher of our lives. Moses only served to draw them closer to God.
So Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
Scene 7: The best approach is to discover what God requires of us. Each time that Jesus engages people in the scripture, he takes them deeper. He makes them realize that God’s will is to feed them with the right food. This is similar to his encounter with the woman at Jacob’s well. At first, her impression was that Jesus needed water from her whereas it was the opposite. Eventually, she found that out and said, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water” (Jn. 4:15).
So they said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."
Scene 8: Here’s the revelation. The bread of life is more than ordinary food. It is food for life. Again, similar to what Jesus’ water did for the Samaritan woman when He said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (Jn. 4”13-14). Jesus’ body and blood is real food and drink for eternity.
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst."
Let’s wrap this up with Jonathan’s message when he spoke those words of faith as portrayed in the Chosen. We all need to appreciate the profundity of what we experience in the Blessed Eucharist with gratitude, reverence, deep-seated awe, and adoration. As I listen to Jonathan address the sixty thousand men and women who gathered in Indiana for the Eucharistic Congress, I see a testimony of faith, courage, and confidence worthy of emulation for this modern generation. His words will help us reflect a bit deeper on what this Eucharistic discourse means for us when he says, “Receiving the Eucharist and going to Mass has changed my life. The Eucharist for me is healing. The Eucharist for me is peace. The Eucharist for me is my grounding. The Eucharist for me is His Heart within me.”
Jesus wants us to believe for the right reasons. What is the Eucharist for you?
1st- Ex. 16:2-4, 12-15; 2nd- Eph. 4:17, 20-24; Gospel- Jn. 6:24-35
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