If someone is going somewhere on foot, there are two very important things to keep in mind: first, they must know the way; no one can reach a destination if they don't know the way beforehand. Second, if someone is going on a long journey, they will also need food and drink because if they lack these, shortly after starting, they will quickly begin to feel thirsty and hungry, and without sustenance, they will surely never reach their destination. We notice that in every Mass, the Lord, in the first part, through His Word, shows us the only way to life, and in the second part, He gives us His Body and Blood as food and drink to sustain us until we reach heaven.
In today's first reading, we saw how God sent His Angel to Elijah, who was on a long journey through the desert, telling him: "Get up and eat, otherwise the journey ahead of you will be too much for you." Elijah got up, ate, and drank, and with the strength of that food, he walked for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of the Lord. If Elijah needed this food to reach God's mountain, all the more do we need special food to reach our only destination, which is to be with God forever. Life is also a journey, during which, unfortunately, many forget where they are heading. God, like with Elijah, sustains us at every Mass by giving us His Son in the Word and in His Holy Body and Blood.
When Jesus told this truth to the Jews, they did not understand Him: Jesus was asking them for blind faith in Him, meaning they needed to accept that only He could satisfy their hunger and thirst for God, and He would do this by becoming spiritual food for them. "Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life." Surely many found His words difficult, but not everyone responded the same to this challenge: some left Jesus because they could not understand what He was saying, while others, though still not understanding, stayed with Him because they trusted in His Word. "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, they will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." Jesus indeed fulfilled this at the Last Supper and, above all, on the cross when He gave His life for us.
In the second reading, Saint Paul shows us how we should live the Eucharist: "Brothers and sisters, do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God... Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." The Eucharist is an experience of love; it is a way of life where love becomes the reason for everything one does, where love becomes the reason for living. If one participates in the Eucharist and does not live Love, they are living a lie. We should ask ourselves: how much do I believe that I need Jesus to live a meaningful life? Do I believe that the Mass is the best way not only to meet Jesus but to become one with Him? How well do I manage to unite the Eucharist/Mass with my daily life by living out love?
We pray to you, Lord, to help us, so that as we walk this journey that we call life, we never forget that You are always with us, and that we need You so that we never forget where we are going, and above all, to sustain us with Your Body and Blood so that one day we may reach the Father in His eternal love. Amen.
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