June 7, 2026: Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Gospel: John 6:51-58

Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

Reflection

The Gospels for the month of June share with us several of Jesus’ teachings to the crowds as well as how he specifically taught his 12 apostles. In our Gospel this week, Jesus uses the image of “living bread” to explain who he is and how he desires to be understood.

Bread is a staple of life. In many countries, bread is a necessity and a mainstay in one’s diet, as it was in Jesus’ time. Was Jesus stressing how important he was to their lives, how necessary and vital? Jesus uses the example of “bread” often in his teaching. His multiplication of bread to feed the crowds emphasizes his care and his love for those who were following him.

On the night before he is to die, Jesus shares bread with his apostles at the last supper and shares with them that he is one with them just as he is one with his Father.

Jesus’ followers could understand their need for bread to live but how could they understand that he would give them his flesh to eat? His closest disciples had grown to love and trust Jesus and were beginning to understand that following him was the desire of their hearts thus they could not abandon him.

Even today it can be hard to fully understand the Eucharist being the body of Christ that we take and eat. And yet, we believe Jesus and accept on faith what he shares with us through his whole life.

Action

Think about this quotation from Gandhi: “There are so many hungry people that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.”

Perhaps this week as we can share a meal – especially the bread – with others, we might try to understand how sharing bread can form us into the living bread that makes up the body of Christ here and now.