MY FLESH IS FOOD INDEED…

Acts 9:1-20

1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 Now as he journeyed he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him.
4 And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting;6 but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul arose from the ground; and when his eyes were opened, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.
9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul; for behold, he is praying,
12 and he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”
13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to thy saints at Jerusalem;
14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon thy name.”15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;
16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized, 19 and took food and was strengthened. For several days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And in the synagogues immediately he proclaimed Jesus, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

John 6:52-59

52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; 54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.
58 This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.” 59 This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.  

MEDITATION

THE FIRST READING Sauls campaign to round up and arrest men or women of the Way, is twarted when he was cast to the ground and left blind for several days. Ananias’s sceptism and hesitancy to respond to the Lords call that he attend to Saul changed, when the Lord informed him that Saul has in fact reached out to God in prayer!Ananias’ apparent fear of Saul the persecuter, was replaced by peace and charity after hearing that God has a special vocation for Saul.

With this said, Ananias visited and catechised Saul who is by now starved in anticipation to receive the food and drink of Christ. He address Saul as a “brother,” prayed over him, restored his sight—baptized and fed him with the Eucharist (v19) before introducing him to the other disciples of the Lord. At this juncture Saul is renamed Paul, such that he immediately proclaimed that Christ is truly the Son of God upon meeting the rest of the disciples of Christ. This event demonstrate Pauls; Baptism, Confirmation and reception of the Holy Eucharist—all the Sacraments save for his presentation as an Apostle, to the twelve Apostles in Jerusalem.

THE GOSPEL READING recall a turning point when a large number of Jesus’ followers rebbelled and disputed our Lords instruction that their salvation is predicated on their submission to “eat His the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood!” 

Believers of Christ who assent to His teaching that He is truly present in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass are called to pray and reach to our protesting seperated brothers and sisters, who have been blinded by false teachers to the extent that they refuse to accept Christs teaching, that His Eucharistic flesh and blood is indeed food that heals and remit sin!

LET US PRAY: Psalms 117:1-2

1 Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! 2 For great is his steadfast love toward us; and the faithfulness of the LORD endures for ever. Praise the LORD!

Commentary. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days.