It is I, Do not be Afraid"

Today's Mass Readings

There is a common saying among Catholics, derived from the Gospel of Luke, that Christ is recognized “in the breaking of the bread” (cf. Luke 24:13-53). As the Gospel of Luke teaches, the ancient tradition that connects the Word of God in Scripture with the Word of God made flesh in Christ originates in the disciples’ direct experience of the risen Lord. The mass, with its two-part Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist, is the most perfect reminder of this truth. Acceptance of the Word of God in Scripture (Liturgy of the Word) has profound implications for the way we live our lives in the world (Liturgy of the Eucharist), and vice-versa. Today’s readings are a Scriptural testament to the fact that recognition of Jesus as Savior is closely bound to recognition of Jesus in the Eucharist. Both the First Letter of John and the Gospel of Mark continue the thematic pairing of the Eucharistic with the recognition that Jesus is the Son of God and Savior. That is, both readings make clear that recognition of Christ’s divinity depends on recognition of Christ’s presence in the Holy Eucharist.

In John’s First Letter, the Apostle states that, “No one has ever seen God.” John follows this statement with a reminder that God is love, and that the love Christians have for one another is “love brought to perfection.” John goes on to say that the perfect sign of God’s love and presence in the world is Christ, who is the visible image of the invisible God. That is, Christ is the perfect sacrament. Though not explicitly Eucharistic, the letter argues that only recognition of Jesus enables us to experience the love and perfection that comes from friendship with God. How does one recognize who Jesus is? The Gospel passage from Mark tells us.

In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus immediately follows the feeding of the five thousand with a prayerful retreat followed by a journey to Bethsaida. What makes Jesus’ journey so extraordinary is his method of transport. Jesus walks on water across the Sea of Galilee. When the disciples, who were traversing the stormy sea in a boat, saw Jesus, Mark tells us that they “were terrified.” They thought Jesus was a ghost. “Take courage,” Jesus admonishes them, “It is I, do not be afraid.” The story might end here. The dsiciples, not expecting to see Christ walking on water, might have chalked their ignorance up to the fact that people do not ordinarily walk on water, and that Jesus, by virtue of his miraculous command of nature, was divine. However, Mark reiterates that despite the miracle the disciples still do not understand. Rather, “They were completely astounded.” What follows is in some way even more astounding. Mark gives us the real reason for the disciples’ failure to recognize that Jesus was no ordinary human, and that he was in fact God Incarnate. Mark states, “They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.” Though the disciples saw Christ walking on water, they did not understand and indeed were terrified because they did not understand the Eucharistic multiplication of the loaves.

The lesson is clear. Jesus is not found in miracles or signs or even wonders, but in the breaking of the bread. In John 6, the Bread of Life Discourse, Jesus challenges his followers to accept the Eucharistic teaching. The disciples are clearly troubled. “This saying is hard,” they grumble, “who can accept it?”

- Michael Lombardo