Two statements in today’s Gospel might be worth reflecting upon this week.
“The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and Life”. Note firstly that this Gospel is part of the chapter 6 “Eucharistic” chapter of John’s gospel. Just as Jesus is the word made flesh [the opening of the gospel of John] and the bread that has come down from above and brings eternal life, so now his words are life giv- ing. That is why we have two tables at Mass; as Vati- can II puts it beautifully, the “Table of the Word and the Table of the Sacrament”. Both are essential for Eucharistic worship. So ponder point one: How often do you read and study the word of God?
The second point is the words of Peter, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”. We live in an era unprecedented for the bombardment of ideas, good and bad, and we live in an age increasingly based on opinion (always biased no matter where it comes from) rather than fact. So ponder point two: If not to the Church, the bible and the sacraments, to whom do you go?
May God bless you, your families, and the week ahead,
Fr Aidan Peter