20th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Literal Meaning of the Words of Jesus

Every three years, over the course of four weeks, the Church focuses on Chapter 6 of the Gospel of John, with readings covering the passage called the Bread of Life Discourse (John 6:22-71). The words of Jesus in this passage are at the heart of Catholic belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the teaching that through the words of Consecration spoken by the priest at Mass, the bread and wine become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Risen Christ. In the passage, Jesus also emphasizes the necessity of our eating and drinking his Body and Blood in order to have spiritual life.

However, Christian fundamentalist, who claim to read the Bible completely literally, assert that the words of Jesus in this passage are to be taken figuratively. After all, they say, Jesus uses various metaphors in the Gospels. For example, he calls himself a vine, a gate, and a shepherd. But he is not literally any of those. So, the fundamentalist argument goes, when Jesus says "my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink" (John 6:55), he is speaking metaphorically.

However, even a cursory examination of the Bread of Life Discourse would show the opposite.

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19th Sunday in Ordinary Time: What is Eternal Life?

As we consider the question of eternal life, let us begin with two works of fiction. In the British classic Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, the main character visits various strange lands. Among these is the country of Luggnagg, where live the Struldbruggs, a group of people who are immortal. Though Struldbruggs do not die, they still experience aging and disease, which makes their condition well-nigh unbearable after some time. They have the gift of immortality without the gift of eternal youth.

In another fictional universe, the vampire novels of Anne Rice, we see a different kind of immortality. Here the vampires can live indefinitely in our world, unless they are killed by sunlight or fire. They do not age, nor are they subject to illness. However, these vampires are atheists and have no belief in anything greater than themselves. In time, an existential boredom sets in, which causes a deep, restless angst. In one of the books, The Vampire Lestat, one vampire in fact commits suicide by jumping into fire because he cannot endure endless days without meaning. The message, whether intentional or not, is clear. Endless life without meaning is not a gift but a burden.

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August 9, 1945: The Death of the Rome of Japan, the Heart of Catholicism in East Asia

Nagasaki was historically the center of Catholicism in Japan. In fact, the city was once known as the Rome of Japan and was seen as the center from which East Asia could be evangelized. St. Mary's Cathedral in the Urakami district of Nagasaki was the largest Catholic Church in East Asia. Until, that is, the second atomic bomb dropped by the United States on Japan exploded over the city of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. The targeted area was just five hundred meters away from the cathedral. The cathedral, along with the entire district, was destroyed, as was the center of Catholicism in Japan.

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18th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Breaking the Bondage of Sin

The Israelites were slaves in Egypt for generations, for about 400 years. Not only are they oppressed during this time, but at the end of this period, Pharaoh seeks to destroy them altogether by having all new born males be killed. However, in this dark moment, God intervenes and raises up Moses and Aaron to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

After a series of powerful signs and a spectacular showdown with Pharaoh's army, God leads the Israelites out of their slavery in Egypt. He initially leads them into the desert. He does so in order to teach them to rely on him in all things completely.

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17th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Cosmic Significance of the Multiplication of the Loaves

The Book of Daniel in the Old Testament contains a somewhat cryptic prophecy foretelling the timeframe of the coming of the Messiah. When the prophecy was deciphered, the timeframe pointed to the first century AD, exactly the time when Christ came among humanity. Thus, at the time of Jesus, there was a great deal of expectation that the Messiah would soon arrive.

The Jewish expectation was that a great leader anointed by God would come forward to lead the people out from under the oppression of the Romans. He would then establish the Reign of God, forging a great kingdom, greater than that of Solomon, which would be filled with abundant blessings. The people living at the time of Jesus eagerly looked for the signs indicating the arrival of the Messiah.

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16th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Jesus Shows Us What a True Shepherd Is Like

Bt. Augustine of Hippo was one of the foundational thinkers of Western Civilization. He was also a bishop in North Africa, in the waning years of the Roman Empire, when more and more of the administrative responsibility for the running of society fell to the Church authorities. As bishop, he had to serve as a judge as well, overseeing a variety of cases.

St. Augustine did not enjoy exercising authority over others. He felt that human beings ruling over each other was a necessary element of our fallen nature, but that in Heaven, we will be equal before the throne of Christ. He saw good leadership as servant leadership. The servant leader exercises authority not for his own gain or self-aggrandizement but for serving others, seeking to ensure their well-being.

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15th Sunday in Ordinary Time: How Can We All Proclaim Christ to All the World?

Jesus sends out the apostles on a trial mission, with very specific instructions. To begin, they are to travel two by two. Having a companion adds a sense of protection and support, but also adds an element of accountability. The disciples are also not to take with them food, money, or other supplies. In our contemporary cultural context, travelling so lightly might seem irresponsible. But the disciples are to rely on the hospitality code of their culture, whereby people were expected to receive travelers into their homes and provide for their needs.

Not traveling with money and possessions also puts the apostles into the lowest social hierarchy of their society, which ensures that they are to be received not because of their status or their resources but because of what Christ had entrusted them to share -- the Good News of the Gospel and his healing grace. They can offer no payment or material gift to their hosts. But they preach repentance, helping people turn away from their sins and experience the transforming forgiveness of God.

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