My friends, once again, our Scriptures today speak about “the bread of life.”  As in past weeks, as we have looked at this theme, realizing that Jesus is speaking about more than, “eating his actual flesh and drinking his actual blood; we might question why he doesn’t just speak in plain terms, this is really important—listen up, I really want you to get this; listen to what I say, watch what I do and do the same!

In all actuality, as you think about it, this is just what Jesus did!  He definitely got their attention when he said that they needed to “eat his flesh and drink his blood.”  Right away though, comes the grumbling—how can he say this?

So then, for the apostles, the people of Jesus’ time and for us; we need to keep listening, hearing his words, watching his actions.  Throughout Jesus’ public ministry there were always those who followed him for the physical food that he gave and this is understandable—it is the human condition—people are hungry—physically, and must be fed.  Jesus’ greater mission though, as we know, was to feed their minds, their hearts and their souls.

We know from elsewhere in Scripture, Matthew, chapter 4, that Jesus says, [we] “do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  This text clearly states what Jesus’ mission among us was really all about.  Yes, we need physical food, but to really live; we need to live out of the emotional and spiritual parts of ourselves that move us to see our separate existence as more than just about ourselves—but about our sisters and brothers sharing our world.

So again, why not just say that?  I believe that Jesus wanted his hearers to understand how important this was to him, thus the terminology; you must eat my flesh and drink my blood.  Flesh and blood, we might say, is what is deepest, most intricately, ours.  It would be like some of our present day sayings—“this is my heart and my soul” when speaking about an idea that is of great importance to us.  When considering our morals, those ideas/concepts that are most important to us, for those with children, “I would give my very life to preserve that idea, (that person).”  This is the same idea as Jesus is expressing in the Scripture passage from John—my words, my actions are, “my body,” “my blood, take them, eat them,” so to speak, make them your own!  And when we do this, we can truly say with Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:26).

We have talked often in the past of how we are called to be “bread for our world”—I offer a few examples out of this past week or so that I am aware of, from others and out of my own life:

• Recently, Pope Francis challenged us all on the issue of inclusivity where issues around life are concerned. He stated basically that we can’t as Catholics, as Christians condone in any way, capital punishment. It is easy enough I think for people to see that we can’t support life in the womb, but be willing to take it later as punishment for another’s sin—that just isn’t ours to decide, to judge, because as we know, many times, in the past, we have got it wrong. Regardless, Francis tells us that this isn’t our call.
• This past week; we learned of over 1,000 children being sexually abused by over 300 priests in Pennsylvania from 1950 onward, and of the systematic cover-up of these crimes, sending abusers onward to other parishes to abuse again and this was done with the knowledge of bishops, cardinals and the pope. Not only this, but the church hierarchy documented their crimes and it was this documentation that finally brought these crimes into the light of day. One has to wonder at the arrogance that allowed for such “foolishness” as spoken of in Proverbs today and downright evil expressed in cruelty to those least able to defend themselves. And in all of this; we have to come back to ourselves, continuing in the words of Proverbs today to “walk the path of understanding” realizing that each of us has a duty, as in our simple safety statement for our parish, to be watchful and have no fear in reporting those actions that we know are wrong even if we must implicate a bishop or a pope. And it is in that light that I wanted you all to know that just yesterday, I signed a letter from the Roman Catholic Women Priests (RCWP) addressed to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) naming this long-time problem and in no uncertain terms demanding that they live out their calls to leadership and make the necessary changes needed to right this grievous wrong. If you would like to read this letter, I have placed it on our website, allareonechurch.org.
• On a personal level, this past week, Robert and I took the opportunity to visit a friend who recently, along with her family, went into the Hospice program as she has struggled for several years battling cancer, realizing now that palliative care is her best option for herself and her family.  You will notice that I included her family here as this is definitely something that involves one’s family as they all go through it together.  I was poignantly reminded of this by another friend as we shared about our mutual friend.  I said, “She has been struggling with this for over 5 years and my friend said, [her husband] “has been too!” Indeed!

Our visit, as I reflect on it, and told someone later, “really felt like being on holy ground.”  When someone is dying, they are at a different place than when that isn’t the case.  We held hands, without words—it was really beyond words, we gave hugs and held on, we talked of the goodness of life, of past memories—we call that life review—we talked of our children and grandchildren and just knew that it was good.  It was “the bread of life,” the body and blood of Jesus.” I know there are those of you who have experienced the same with family and friends.

So my friends, following our brother Jesus is always going to call us beyond what the crowd may be doing at any particular time.  Following a crowd simply because we fear standing alone may be the “foolishness” that the writer of Proverbs is asking us to abandon.

The psalmist in 34 says, “Taste and see that God is good—let the humble hear [the voice of God] and be glad.” It seems that humility may be needed to get beyond ourselves.  And finally, in Paul’s words to the Ephesians, we hear, “Don’t act like fools, but as wise and thoughtful people”—make the most of your time and give thanks for everything.

Even in our visit to our friend on Hospice; we came away being thankful for the time spent and the intimacy shared. May we each, friends, pray for the strength to touch our world with as much “body and blood,” as we are able. Amen? Amen!

My friends, once again, we continue this week to ponder Jesus, our brother, as the “bread of life.”  He tells us in John’s gospel that if we eat of this “bread” that he gives; we shall never die.  Now of course; we know that he isn’t speaking about our physical deaths, but our spiritual deaths, a death none of us, as his followers wants to experience.

In one of Jesus’ other sayings, he went on to expound, “I want you to have life and life in abundance!” Jesus, as we know, was always about “turning things on their heads,” so to speak, asking us to be counter culture, especially when, “following the crowd,” was demonstrative of fear, selfishness and safety, as opposed to openness, mercy, risk-taking for the good of all—simply put, the law to love.   And in this law to love, our own life is lived to the fullest.

The adjoining readings for this 19^th Sunday are instructive as well in how we should attempt to live out, the law to love.  We get a sense of the “bread of life” in each one and as last week, see that the “bread” we are called to give, can be physical, spiritual or emotional.

Elijah the prophet, in the first reading from Kings; we find in somewhat of a depressed state—he has been ministering for his God and is tired—bone-tired and wondering whether physical death might be a better option than what his life is at present.  We see his God responding as God always responds; with care and with love—one just has to have eyes to see! Elijah, through an angel is given food and water and rest, not only once, but twice and it is our God’s constant care that allows Elijah to continue his ministry.

Looking toward ourselves; we might say the same is true.  Our care for others must always include ourselves.  I practiced my advice this week by taking a day and a half at Assisi Heights for a mini retreat.  It was very good just to “hole up” as it were, have quiet time for reading and reflecting and I came away with gratitude for all the gifts of my life, as well as being renewed to continue all that God has in store.

Paul, in the second reading to the Ephesians simply tells us to spend no time on the negative emotions:  bitterness, rage, anger, or the negative actions of harsh, slanderous words and all other kinds of malice. We are instead instructed to be kind, compassionate and forgiving.  Simple to write down, yes, not always simple to do!

I read an interesting article this past week in the National Catholic Reporter in the Young Voices section.  The article was commenting on a new book, entitled, Daring Greatly, by Brene Brown wherein she argues that we should follow Jesus’ lead and become vulnerable.  She makes the point of saying that “being vulnerable” is not being weak as some might think.  Being vulnerable is being willing to say that you don’t have all the answers and being equally willing to listen to another’s thought or opinion to get closer to the truth for all of us.

Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians seems to be saying that we have to trust more that laying our hearts open as Jesus did will bring about the hoped for result quicker and more amiably than the alternative choice. In other words; we have to “walk in love” as did Jesus.

And for those who aren’t risk-takers, “question-askers,” or are satisfied to make-no-waves; the temptation to criticize those who do take risks, ask questions and make waves will always seem a viable choice.  It was so for Jesus as we saw in the gospel today, and it will be so for us too—“we know your mother and father,”—how dare you claim to be more than you are?

Most of you are aware that the Rochester Franciscan Sisters elected new leadership recently.  At their installation ceremony on July 1 each of the new community ministers reflected on one particular word from their chosen theme for their time in leadership, “Living from our common heart.”  For my purposes today; I will comment on just two of the reflections.

First, Sr. Jennifer Corbett reflected on the word, “from” in her comments.  She spoke of coming “from” South Bend, Indiana, that her father was “from” American Irish descent and that her mother came “from” France.  Additionally, she mentioned that she has an older sister, Mary, and a brother, Phil.  She stated that this is “her tribe,” so to speak, and that with these pieces of information; we might come to some conclusions about her, right or wrong, just as the people in Jesus’ time did about him.  She goes on to say that just as he couldn’t be confined by his humble beginnings, we too can’t fail to do what God may be calling us to because we, “don’t have the voice, the strength, the position”—whatever we may come up with as excuses for not doing our part!

The second reflection comes from Sr. Mary Eliot and her comments revolve around the word, “our” as in “Living from our common heart.”  She uses the word, “our” as a jumping-off place to speak about our (Sisters and Cojourners) origins, giftedness and our future together as Franciscans, followers of Francis and Clare of Assisi and states in no uncertain terms that in order for us to do our best, what God is calling us each to, our “interconnectedness” is going to be most important.  She describes most beautifully what she means by referencing the story of The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams.

Most of us recall that this is a story of a velveteen rabbit that becomes real through the love of a little child.  In the character of the Skin Horse, who is real, the rabbit learns what it is “to be real.”  “It’s a thing that happens to you when a child loves you for a long, long time…then you become real.”

The rabbit wants to know, “does it hurt?” The skin horse answers, “Sometimes, [but] when you are real, you don’t mind being hurt.”

The skin horse goes on to say that it doesn’t happen all at once, [becoming real] and it doesn’t happen to those who “break easily,” or have “sharp edges” or have to “be carefully kept.”  And by the time you are real, “most of your hair has been loved off, your eyes drop out, you get loose in the joints and very shabby.”  The skin horse concludes by saying that “those things don’t matter…because “once you are real you can’t be ugly except to people who don’t understand.”

Mary Eliot concluded her reflection saying that for her, “to be real is to love another into being.”  My friends, each of us is called like Elijah, like Jesus, like Paul, to be real, to love each other into being through our willingness to be trusting and understanding of others, even when we disagree. We may lose “our fur” like the skin horse, become tired like Elijah, misunderstood like Jesus, but in all of this; we will have the peace of knowing that like those who came before us, we have been faithful followers of our God, of our brother Jesus.  Amen? Amen!