Five-Week Homily Series on John 6: The Eucharist Is the Bread of Life

So many of us went without being able to receive the Eucharist for a period of time last year, and for some of us that sadly continues – especially for those in certain living situations that limit the access of our clergy and Communion Outreach ministers. For many of us, this is one of the most painful parts of not being able to come to church, due to physical or other health limitations. Many of our other sisters and brothers have simply gotten out of the habit of Sunday worship and have forgotten (or may have never known) how much a faith-filled reception of Christ in Communion can heal, strengthen, and empower us to live amidst life’s many challenges. Without judgment, our parishes want to help all of us to grow in our appreciation of this great gift in which Jesus gives us his very self to nourish and bring us the fullness of life we so desperately need!

As you may have heard at Mass last weekend, we have begun a special five-week series for our PWC homilies on the Eucharist. One summer every three years in the Sunday reading cycle, we get to hear from the Gospel According to John, Chapter 6 about the true Bread of Life. In the past we have used this opportunity to talk about parts of the Mass, but in this extended Year of the Eucharist Cardinal Seán has given us, the topic for all our priests & deacons to preach on was obvious! In order to help us all to look at a variety of ways the Eucharist is important in our lives (and to avoid us focusing on the same theme a different homilist covered with you the previous week!), we set a schedule of Eucharistic themes that follow the readings each Sunday.

John’s Gospel does not retell the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper (the other Gospels already had that covered). Instead, John teaches us about the Eucharist through Jesus’ discourse following the multiplication of the loaves, one of the most powerful signs of who Jesus is for us. Please make a point of listening to these homilies as carefully as you can. We will be putting clippings of these homilies from our Mass videos together on our website so you can watch any that you miss while traveling, or go back to hear a different homilist’s take on the same theme.

May the gift of God’s Word, broken open for us at the Mass, enlighten us to the depth of God’s love and care for us – now and always. Amen.

- Fr. Joe