True Worship, True Religion

 

Deacon Dave · More Than Going Through the Motions

Homily for the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sept. 8, 2024. Gospel of St. Mark 7:1-23. Theme: True Worship, True Religion 

 I grew up in an immigrant Italian family still very much tied to the culture of the Old Country, as some of my elders used to say. Now, as far as food went this was awesome, but as far as religion goes, well…it meant there was real estrangement from the institutional Church. This was an attitude that was imported from their anti-clerical homeland. We never went to Mass or to the sacraments, but we did observe some external religious customs. However, I would have to admit that like the Pharisees in today's Gospel, these traditions were devoid of any real interior heart-felt devotion. But here’s the real odd thing: I would quickly get a salami sandwich slapped right out of hands on a Friday, accompanied by the reminder that “we Catholics don’t eat meat on Fridays!” And when I asked why… the reply was always “because that’s just what we do.” Do you see what’s wrong with this picture? 

 Well, Jesus tells us what’s wrong with it in today’s gospel. It's going through the motions without knowing why. It’s religion based on rules and not on relationships of the heart. It’s observing external rituals without them being an expression of an interior communion with God. In other words, it’s hollow, it's an empty show. Jesus is strongly warning us in our Gospel reading that this approach to religion has absolutely no power to transform, to change, to save the human person. Instead, it misleads us into thinking that we are devout and good simply because we obey the rules and follow the customs. It blinds us to the real and ultimate purpose of Christianity which is conversion of life, changing the ways we think, speak and act so that we become more like Jesus. 

 Just going through the motions of external religion cannot produce saints, let alone good Christians. It’s unable to empower us to forgive those who hurt us. It fails to motivate us to serve the desperate needs of the hungry, the poor, the sick and the lonely. External religion eventually becomes meaningless and boring and routine and those who practice it soon become disillusioned. God becomes disconnected from their lives because, well in all honesty, he was never truly welcome there in a serious way in the first place. Simply following rules and observing rituals will not lead us to Heaven, but only to other place to be quite honest…and the danger of it is that it can fool us all along the way into thinking that we are doing just fine. 

 As Christians who belong to a Church that has always placed great emphasis upon ritual and rules we all have to be careful to avoid the trap of falling into this kind of approach to religion. The number one way to insure against it is by first of all nurturing a personal relationship with God through “prayer of the heart”, which means speaking honestly and openly with him about our lives and hopes, our joys and struggles. And when we do engage in formal liturgical worship, we need to be careful that we are not just “going through the motions” unaware of what our rituals mean and why we do them. Otherwise the Mass can become just an empty show. So, let’s take a quick look at some of the things we say and do every week during Sunday Mass and consider what they really mean so that they will not simply be memorized words and routine actions. 

• When we enter the church the first thing we usually do is dip our fingers in holy water…this connects us with our baptism and reminds us of the baptismal promises to reject Satan and sin and live for God above all else. We then begin the Liturgy with the Sign of the Cross. This classic Catholic ritual is a profession of faith using body language in addition to words. It means that we believe that God is a Holy Trinity of Persons and that salvation comes only through the Cross & Resurrection of Christ. 
•  Then at the Penitential Rite we recite the Kyrie three times…This is an ancient litany of repentance that we say three times in honor of the Trinity and when done with true sorrow it forgives our everyday sins and purifies our hearts to worship God and to receive Holy Communion. 
• During the Liturgy of the Word, we listen and respond to several Bible readings...our response of "Thanks be to God" means "Thank you, Lord, for speaking to us and teaching us." The readings will mean so much more to us and our responses will be so much more genuine, if we take the time to review the readings before Sunday Mass to learn about them before hearing them. 
• When it’s time for the Gospel we stand up, we sing and we mark ourselves with a small Sign of the Cross on our forehead. lips and heart…We rise up out of respect for the Gospel as the most important part of the Liturgy of the Word because it is Jesus speaking to us. Blessing ourselves symbolizes that we desire to think like Jesus, to speak like Jesus and to love like Jesus. 
• And then during the part of the Creed that mentions Jesus becoming human, born of Mary we bow our heads…This is a ritual action of praise and worship to God the Son who loved us so much that he gave up the glory and power of Heaven to become one of us and so we bow in adoration and thanksgiving. 
• At the Offertory, we put money in the basket for the works of mercy…It’s a symbol of our thanksgiving to God for his many blessings, of gratitude for the jobs we have that allow us to earn it and to give it; it’s our opportunity to share what have received for the relief of the sufferings of others. 
• After the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) we kneel down... The great mystery of the Holy Spirit coming among us to transform the gifts of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Risen Christ is about to take place and so we humble ourselves in the Divine Presence of this Sacred Action. 
• At the Sign of Peace we turn to those around us...this is an ancient part of the Liturgy which is our way of showing that we meant what we just prayed in the Our Father..."forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us..." It is not at all a time for social greetings but rather an opportunity to show reconciliation and unity with others. 
• When we go up to receive Holy Communion, we bow before the consecrated Host and we affirm our belief that it is truly Jesus by saying, “Amen!” … By word and action we acknowledge the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and by receiving his Body and Blood we become living tabernacles of the Risen Lord. 
• And finally at the end of Mass we are blessed and then dismissed with words of mission…We are officially sent out by Christ, through his ministers, to live as missionary disciples who glorify the Lord by the way we live our lives and who announce the Gospel by our words and behavior. This means that we are sent out to invite others to come to know Jesus, to learn his Word and to receive his promised gift of the Holy Spirit so that they, too, along with us, can know the peace and joy that comes from life lived with God. 

If we do our best to participate at Mass with this kind of awareness then we won't fall into the trap that Jesus is warning us about today. And we won't hear him say about our worship what he said to the Pharisees, "This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." And we will be open to growing in the pure and undefiled religion that St. James described in our second reading, a religion that is not self-focused but proves itself in caring for others in their sufferings and afflictions.

Keeping the Light on For You

 

Deacon Dave · Keeping the Light on For You!

Homily for the 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time, August 25, 2024. Gospel of St. John 6:51-58. Theme: Keeping the Light on for You! 

 We’ve been hearing quite a lot about the Eucharist from the Gospel of St. John over the past few Sundays. And in doing so we’ve learned from Jesus himself that the bread and wine of the Eucharist undergo a radical transformation in their innermost reality, becoming his very Body and Blood while their outward appearances continue to remain the same. In response to this miracle at Mass, we at the altar bow profoundly right after the consecration of the bread and wine, while all of you in the pews kneel in adoration. We use body language at this time to express our belief because we have no words that can truly describe the indescribable or explain the inexplicable when it comes to this Great Mystery. 

 It seems to me that to try and say more about the Eucharist, would really just be talking in circles, so to speak. So, what I would like to do instead, is to reflect on something that visually proclaims the reality of this Eucharistic Mystery, but is quite often overlooked or forgotten or perhaps even unknown. It is found near the tabernacle in every single Catholic church or chapel throughout the world. What I am talking about is the Sanctuary Light, the Lamp of the Divine Presence, which you can see right above and behind me on the wall of our Adoration Chapel. It burns 24 hours a day, 364 days a year (it’s extinguished only on Good Friday) in testimony to the promise Jesus made to us as he was ascending into heaven and said, “I will be with you always, even until the end of time.” And actually, if we stop and think about why it's there and what it does, this sacred candle can teach us some beautiful and important things about the Blessed Sacrament. 

 The Sanctuary Lamp is first of all a silent and prayerful reminder of the Lord’s perpetual presence among us. Its flickering light assures us that this is not merely a symbolic, or emotional or even just a spiritual presence. Rather, it is what we call the Real Presence, meaning that Jesus is just as truly among us here and now as he was among his disciples 2,000 years ago, but simply in a different way. His Presence is even greater now because he is risen and no longer restrained by the boundaries of space and time. The Sanctuary Light assures us that just as crowds came to Jesus from all over the Holy Land, hoping to experience his healing touch, we can do the very same today simply by coming before him in the tabernacle. It’s the exact same Jesus with the exact same power, only now he is risen and glorious and unlimited in the scope of his Presence. 

 The Sanctuary Lamp is also an invitation to us. It beckons us to come to Jesus and stay with him a while. You may be familiar with the Motel 6 chain whose motto is, “we’ll leave the light on for you”. It’s their way of saying, “we’re waiting for you and you’re always welcome here.” This is also the message of the Sanctuary Light. It tells us that Jesus is waiting for us and that we are always welcome to come to the tabernacle and spend time with him. We can pour out our hearts to him there, share the struggles of all our aches and pains with him. We can talk with him about all of our needs and dreams and yearnings, and we can also thank him for all the many joys and blessings in our lives. The glow of the lamp invites us to come into his Real Presence and grow in our interpersonal relationship with him through these times of Eucharistic Adoration. 

 The Sanctuary Lamp assures us that we can depend upon Jesus to be there for us throughout the entirety of our lives and in every situation or circumstance. When we are young and when we grow old. Jesus is waiting for us there. Whether we are in our parish church or in an unfamiliar one while on business or vacation. Jesus is waiting for us there. When we are rejoicing over the birth of a child or grieving over the loss of a loved one. Jesus is waiting for us there. He truly abides with us in every era of our lives and during every experience that comes our way. He welcomes any and all who seek him for, as the Gospels show us, he never turns anyone away. No matter what our ethnicity or sexuality, no matter what our politics or our education, no matter what our job title or our life-situation, no matter what our sins or our failings, he eagerly awaits us and looks only at the sincerity of our hearts and at our desire to be with him. 

 We heard in today’s Gospel that many disciples of Jesus left his company over the Eucharist, for they couldn't accept its reality as the Lord’s Flesh and Blood. But there were others who did stay even though they too didn’t understand the Mystery. They had learned to trust in Jesus who often said incredible and curious things. The Sanctuary Light encourages us to be like them, to have faith like them and stay with Jesus. As Simon-Peter said, to whom else would we go, for Jesus alone is the Holy One of God who has the words that lead to eternal life. And so we know where to go to be with Jesus and stay with him for a while because the Sanctuary Light shines over where he can be found, much the same way that the Star of Bethlehem once shone over the dwelling place of the Newborn King. 

 So you see, we can look at the Sanctuary Light as really so much more than just a church decoration or accessory. It can actually become an inspiration for us to live as Christians who shine the light of Christ upon a dark and confused world. We who receive the Eucharist become living tabernacles of the Lord and so we should also be like Living Lamps of the Divine Presence that show others the way to Jesus. Just like the Tabernacle Candle, the light of faith within us should radiate upon those around us, so that they can know that Christ is risen and alive and still very much present in the world today.

It's the Real Thing!

 

Deacon Dave · It's the Real Thing!

Homily for the 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time, August 18, 2024. Gospel of St. John 6:60-69. Theme: It’s the Real Thing! 

 In today’s Gospel Christ pulls no punches whatsoever in the words and descriptions he uses to convey the stark reality of the Eucharist: that it is indeed his actual and glorified Flesh and Blood. Even when many of his listeners grow furious at this teaching as being too much to accept, he did not try to correct them by saying that they had misunderstood him. No. They had heard correctly. He was not talking about the Eucharist as just a sign or symbol of his Flesh and Blood. He was saying that it is the Real Thing! 

 You know, we've had several Sundays now hearing about the Bread of Life so I think there’s really no point in pushing the topic any further. We’ve been told what needs to be said about it and we've heard it straight from the mouth of Christ himself. What is important now is our individual personal response to this teaching. So what remains is for each of us to answer the following questions: Do I believe that Jesus is God come in the flesh? And do I believe that God can and does still work miracles today? 

 If your answer is yes, then nothing more is necessary. Even if you don't understand how this mystery of the Eucharist can happen (and we’re not expected to understand it) the simple act of trusting faith is enough. It places us in the good company of Peter and the other disciples who remained with Jesus after the others found his Eucharistic teaching too much to handle. These disciples could not understand the mystery either, but they had seen many unexplainable things done by Jesus and in their hearts they knew he could be trusted. In union with them we profess the same kind of trust at every Mass when we proclaim the mystery of faith right after the consecration. 

 If the answer to both the questions is no; that there is no faith in Jesus as God nor in miracles, then there’s no point going any further, is there? No amount of words and no explanations are going to change such a mind. That grace belongs solely to the action of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life. But then I imagine there aren’t many or even any of such extreme disbelievers at Mass…after all, why would they be here? 

 So, let’s move to those who are in the middle ground. Those who profess faith in Jesus as God’s Son but do not believe he could or would provide us with the on-going daily miracle of the Eucharist. This category is composed of the majority of Christians in the USA and sadly there are even a noticeable number of Catholics among them. Now, it seems to me that this is an odd position for a believing Christian to be in because, after all, the Eucharist is far from being the only inexplicable miracle of Jesus. And yet these believers become non-believers when it comes to the stark reality of the Eucharist. 

 This is a very inconsistent position to take for a person who has no problem accepting the Lord’s many other wondrous deeds, such as... 

• He was God who became man, enabling invisible divinity to become visible humanity. 
• He changed water into wine. He walked on the waves of the sea. 
• He brought people back to life from the dead. 
• He made visible human maladies and disabilities suddenly disappear before people's eyes. 
• He twice multiplied 5 loaves of bread to become enough to feed 5,000+ people. 
• He ordered violent storms to be still and the turbulent forces of nature obeyed him. 
• Most of all he rose from the tomb whole and entire and glorious after being tortured, crucified and buried! 

So how is it possible for someone to truly believe all these things about Jesus and yet withhold faith in the Eucharist? There has to be something more at work here, something in their minds and hearts that distort or misinterpret the words of Jesus. Those who rebelled against the Bread of Life teaching in today’s Gospel were in a situation like that. They were believers who had limits to their belief. They stood proud in their Judaism and professed belief in both the God and the miracles of the Old Testament. Yet the ears of their hearts were deaf to God’s own words spoken right in front of them. You see, they had been taught to think about the God of Israel in a certain way and to place him within a box made by their own imagining of what God could or could not do. They heard the Bread of Life teaching with minds clouded by presuppositions and prejudices. 

 And there are Christians who are just like that today. There are those who will not accept or even consider the reality of the Eucharist because it is a Catholic belief and they are prejudiced against anything and everything Catholic. And then there are those who put Jesus in a box of their own making, a box that is constructed out of misinterpretation of the Bible and of incorrect Church teachings that have been passed on to them. And yet, as I said, they accept his other miracles so why is it impossible to accept this one? Why is it so hard to believe that if he wills it, Jesus can change bread and wine into very Flesh and Blood? 

 And I am not talking about Jesus doing this just once 2,000 years ago at the Last Supper. I am talking about him doing so right here and right now. Jesus himself taught us to celebrate the Eucharist based on his actions at the Last Supper. And to assure its continuation, he has been empowering men for 2,000 years to stand in his place and speak his words over bread and wine and in this way continue this daily miracle and mystery of faith among us until the end of time.

Jesus Living in Mary!

 

Deacon Dave · Jesus Living in Mary!

Homily for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, 2024. Gospel of St. Luke 1:39-56. Theme: Jesus Living in Mary! 

 The Assumption of Mary into Heaven is tied intimately to the fact that when the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity became flesh it was Mary’s ”yes” to God that made this event possible. She was totally free to say “no” but she didn’t and we are literally infinitely better off because of it! Since Mary was so intimately associated with Jesus in his mission upon earth, it makes sense to us that she should also be raised up body and soul into heaven as he was, but in a very different way of course. In addition, we can see how it makes sense that her resurrection from the dead should happen ahead of our own, for she was full of grace, the sinless temple and dwelling place for the Sinless God. All these things would be what we call the “theological reasons” for Mary’s Assumption into Heaven. 

 But modern science now offers us a different but complementary way to ponder the mystery of her Assumption. You see, genetic research has shown that from the first days of life in the womb mother and child share each other’s cells. As early as the second week of pregnancy there is a two-way flow of DNA between the child and the mother, and a good number of the baby’s cells persist, thrive, and actually become a permanent part of the mother. This throws a whole new light on our understanding of the maternal relationship. It shows us that in a certain sense a mother carries a part of her child within her for a whole lifetime and not just for 9 months! 

 Now, let’s see what this scientific finding might look like when applied to the relationship between Mary and Jesus. It means that the Blessed Mother continued to have Jesus truly physically present within her by means of the cells of his Divine Humanity for her entire life! She was literally a living Tabernacle of the Lord’s Body and Blood. Now, it seems to me that since Jesus did not remain in the grave and undergo corruption, but was raised up, so it also makes sense that Mary, having the Presence of her Divine Son always within her at the cellular level, should also be raised up body and soul in the experience of her Assumption. It’s really Jesus-living-in-her that makes this wondrous event possible! 

 And as I see it, this leads to an awesome conclusion for each one of us. Science has proven the truth of the saying, “we become what we eat”. This affirms our belief that through our faithful and intentional reception of the Eucharist we, too, become part of the Risen Lord Jesus. By means of this holy Sacrament, his Body and Blood enter into us and remain with us. The more we receive the Eucharistic Christ the more we become assimilated into him. And so like Mary, this will lead us to our own resurrection from the dead. Jesus himself actually told us about this connection between Eucharist and Resurrection in the 6th chapter of St John’s Gospel that we have been reading from over the past few Sundays. He declared, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (Jn 6:54) 

 So you see, the Assumption of Mary has something to say both to us and about us. It reminds us that there is a seed of immortality growing within us just as Jesus was once growing in her. This seed is planted by the Eucharist and waiting to blossom at the proper time in the story of our lives. The Assumption assures us that this immortality will be a physical reality and not just a ghostly life, so to speak, where we exist as disembodied spirits floating around for eternity. But it will be a glorious life in a real place called Heaven where we will live forever, in both body and soul, along with Mary and all our loved ones who have gone before us marked with the Sign of Faith.

Soul Food

 

Deacon Dave · Soul Food

Homily for the 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time, August 11, 2024. Gospel of St. John 6:41-51. Theme: Soul Food 

 As I was pondering today’s gospel, in which Jesus says he will satisfy our deepest hunger, I thought of what Mother St. Teresa of Calcutta once said about poverty in the USA compared to that in India. She said: “Hunger in America is so much deeper and so much worse than in India because it is the hunger of the soul; a hunger for God and for love. There is so much wealth in the USA but at the same time there is so much spiritual poverty, so much spiritual hunger.” Mother Teresa was right in saying that we who are counted among the most materially satisfied on the globe are in reality starving and even dying spiritually. And sadly, statistics bear this out. Even though we Americans have just about everything we need to satisfy our physical demands, our nation has a soaring rate of addiction. This reveals the deep and desperate form of poverty that Mother Teresa was talking about. 

 Bill Wilson, one of the pioneers of the 12-Step Addiction Recovery movement, would agree with Mother Teresa. Way back in the 1940’s he wrote that addiction is a spiritual hunger that can only be relieved with a spiritual remedy. And that remedy is God because God is unconditional and perfect love. You see, addiction usually happens in response to someone experiencing a deep spiritual or emotional wound in their soul that causes spiritual hunger pangs to grow within them. As this spiritual and emotional suffering intensifies, it becomes a pain that is too great to bear. And so the person reaches out for whatever promises to satisfy the spiritual hunger, for whatever might bring some comfort to that space within them that is reserved for God alone and which can only be filled by accepting his love. 

 The dynamics of this spiritual hunger mimics those of physical hunger. When our body is really hungry we'll grab anything that is at hand, anything that can quickly stifle the pangs and satisfy the need. And of course, junk food is so often our first resort because it’s easy to get and delivers instant gratification. However, junk food is a kind of a culinary lie because it’s really only a quick fix that satisfies us for a short bit of time. In reality, it does nothing to truly nourish us, to promote our growth and to support good life in the long-run. 

 And the same kind of thing can be said about our spiritual hunger. When we are starving for something to fill up the emotional need, we’ll reach for anything that promises to bring us relief and comfort. We don't stop to ponder the possible outcomes and the long-term consequences. And in our world today there’s a whole cafeteria of spiritual junk food that makes all kinds of false promises in this regard. And so we see all around us, and even among our own families and friends, addictive and codependent behavior related to alcohol, drugs, sex, pornography, shopping, gambling, food, compulsive work, and obsessive fitness. These and other junk foods of the soul actually end up making the hunger even worse and can lead to spiritual starvation and death. 

 But as we heard in today’s Gospel Jesus comes to us as the Bread of Life precisely to meet our needs and satisfy our deepest spiritual hunger. He comes as a Savior to heal our wounds and restore us from the inside out. He speaks words of truth so that our minds can be enlightened and set free from lies and false promises. He feeds us with the heavenly remedy of the Eucharist so that our wounded hearts and souls can experience the warmth and compassion of his loving presence within us. This is precisely why the Mass is composed of both the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Christians who are struggling to free themselves from the junk food of addiction need to make the Bread of Life a central and vital part of their recovery because it is only the True Bread from Heaven, the Living Bread which is Christ, that will heal the wound of the nagging pain and satisfy their deepest hunger.

Icon of the Mother of God of the Inexhaustible Cup

Patroness of addiction and Instrument of many miraculous recovery cures.

Notice that in this icon Jesus is presented in context of the Eucharist

which is the life-giving and healing remedy for our spiritual hunger.

Satisfying Our Spiritual Hunger

 

Deacon Dave · Satisfying Our Spiritual Hunger

Homily for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time. August 4, 2024. The Gospel of St. John 6:24-35. Theme: Satisfying Our Spiritual Hunger 

 In today's Gospel we pick up where we left off last Sunday with the excitement that followed Jesus’ miracle of the loaves. Many from the crowd that were fed had followed Jesus to the other side of the lake because they wanted more of the same from this miracle-worker! Then Jesus and the people enter into a conversation in which both sides are talking about hunger, but they’re not at all on the same wavelength. They use the same words but are talking “apples and oranges” as we sometimes say! 

 The people are focusing on material hunger and the possibility for more miracles to satisfy their physical needs. Jesus, on the other hand, is referring to spiritual hunger and nourishment for the soul. They are stuck at the level of the body while Jesus is trying to have them go deeper. And you know, we’re not all that different from those people and their misplaced priorities. Peek into a gym window or notice the joggers and walkers on the streets on any given Sunday while you’re on your way to Mass, and you will see way more people working on physical fitness than you’ll see in church working on spiritual fitness. Now there’s nothing at all wrong with healthy living or wanting to look our best, but these things become significantly displaced when they supersede the needs of the soul. This is what Jesus means when we hear him say in today's Gospel, “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life.” In other words, “Get your priorities in order!”

 Now just to be clear, Jesus doesn’t deny the importance of our bodies and neither does he advocate ignoring their very real physical needs. After all, he became a man just like us in all things except sin, and so he totally understands what we need and experience as far as the body goes. But in today’s Gospel he is using this interplay between body and soul as a launching pad to jump into a very vital teaching. He knows, both as our Creator and in his experience as a human being himself, that spiritual hunger is a deeper, more persistent need within us than the physical. He knows that even those who have everything they need to make life happy and easy can still be so deeply empty and unhappy inside. Their physicality has its needs more than met, but their souls are crying out for spiritual attention and nourishment.  I think we would do well to pause and ask ourselves if we are expending at least as much time and energy on the health and beauty of our souls as we do for our bodies?

 The health of the soul should really be a priority to us for two reasons. First, the condition of the soul affects everything else about us, even our physicality. For example, it is not uncommon for someone who has finally confessed a longstanding burdensome sin to leave the Sacrament of Reconciliation with the physical sensation of unimaginable joy that feels like a ton of bricks have been lifted off their chest. And conversely, it is sadly not that rare to meet someone who seems to become increasingly negative and bitter because they hold onto a hurt and nurse a grudge. These are two rather common spiritual actions that manifest themselves tangibly in our physical selves. This is because the body and soul are not two independent and opposing parts, but are united together to form one single unique person. The soul is our life-source and the wellspring of our personality. This is why we define death itself as the separation of the soul from the body. 

 The second reason we need to have a priority of concern for the soul is because it is immortal. This innermost spiritual part of who we are survives our physical death and is destined to experience either unimaginable glory or eternal alienation from all that is good. And while it is true that the body will eventually be resurrected and share in this immortality, it will only do so in obedience, so to speak, to the soul. It does not lead the way but bows to what the innermost spiritual self has chosen. 

 And so Jesus goes above and beyond to do all that he can to help attain and maintain excellent spiritual health. He declares himself to be the Bread of Life in which we can find nourishment through both Word and Sacrament. While most people think that this self-identification by Jesus refers only to the Holy Eucharist, the Church teaches us that Bread of Life also means Jesus as the Word of God. In the Scriptures bread is often used as a metaphor for religious instruction, such as when the hungry Jesus was tempted to turn stones into bread by the devil, but replied that it's more important for men to live on every word that comes from the mouth of God. 

 This is why the Liturgy of the Word always precedes the Liturgy of the Eucharist. It’s a reflection of the way things were on that day of the miracle of the loaves in Galilee. First the people heard Christ’s teaching and then they ate of his miracle-bread. And the same kind of experience happens for us at Mass. Jesus becomes the Bread of Life for us first through the Sacred Scriptures in which the Word of God becomes food for our souls and light for our minds. Then during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, God sends down for us the True Bread of Heaven, the Bread that gives life to our souls, satisfying all of our deepest needs.