Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter
As a teenager I overheard my aunt telling my mom about being at church with her young son, Andrew. Andrew had heard the Gospel message we hear today, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” He was so excited by the idea of never feeling hungry or thirsty again he told his mom, “Let’s get up there! We need to eat that bread!” While this is a sweet story of an eager child, there is truth in his young, innocent words.
When we recognize the truth of who Jesus is and what partaking in his Eucharist can mean, we should be racing to the altar, rushing to the Eucharistic feast. And yet, we don’t. What is it that impedes us from seeking the Eucharist with the same passion as Andrew? What slows us down? Distracts us?
I think if we look to today’s first reading we may find an answer. This reading begins by telling us that there was a severe persecution towards the members of the church at this time. They were scattered throughout the countryside, and they risked imprisonment for practicing their faith. Thankfully, in our country, we will not be imprisoned for practicing our faith, but we do risk persecution, isolation, mockery. While sharing in the Eucharistic feast feeds us, it also challenges us. Coming to the feast means that we are saying yes to living like Christ – a life that was counter-cultural in His time and remains so today.
Let’s go back to that first reading again. Paul tells us that although Christ’s disciples had been scattered, they still continued to preach the truth of Christ’s message and continued to bring healing and peace. They continued to do the hard work, to live Christ’s message, despite the risk of persecution and rejection. Was this a risk? Yes. Definitely. But let’s keep reading. Notice the final line in today’s first reading – “There was great joy in that city.” While the risk was great, the desire to live the truth and share the Gospel was greater, bringing about a deep, robust joy.
So I think that Andrew was right – we need to get to the Eucharist, as fast as we can. May we not approach hesitantly and nervously. May we approach the table with humility and wisdom, knowing that yes, choosing to share in this feast will bring challenges and hardships but it will also bring great joy. This joy is not merely the joy of a city but the joy of eternal life. John ends today’s Gospel with these words from Jesus, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day." Let us confidently see the Son and believe in him and say yes to his will as we approach the altar this week.
—AJ Grimm