044 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings

Cycle B 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

1 Kings 19;4-8; Psalm 34-2-9; Ephesians 4:3 0---5:2; John 6; 41-51

Homily Theme

Taste what you eat

In the first reading this week, Elijah is exhausted and lies down beneath a tree ready for death, but an angel orders him to eat and be nourished for his journey. The Angel wakes him up a second time and again orders him to eat because he hadn't yet tasted the Goodness of the Lord in what he ate. He prayed, but he hadn't tasted his prayer which is food for his soul.

Have you ever noticed those who seem to swallow their food so quickly that they never take the time to taste what they eat? I must plead guilty to that problem and since childhood my mother constantly reminded me. Taste your food or it won't nourish you. Today in the psalm response we are constantly reminded, to Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. The last verse of psalm today again reminds us. Taste and see how good the Lord is.

This Sunday, do more than listen to the words of the Alleluia verse. Taste the words and let them give you life. I am the living bread come down from heaven, whoever eats this bread will live forever. Jesus will repeat those words in the Gospel. "I am the living bread come down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." Don’t just swallow the host without tasting Jesus, or it won't nourish you spiritually. Like Elijah, we have a spiritual journey to make and God commands that we eat his flesh for the journey.

I received an email with a video about a Eucharistic miracle in Argentina. A consecrated host was dropped at Holy Communion and the priest placed it in a glass of water. Five days later it turned to flesh. A renowned cardiologist from New York examined and reported that it was flesh from the left ventricle of a heart muscle. What amazed him was that it was from a heart that had suffered great trauma. It was also from a living heart muscle. This eminent cardiologist, biochemist and pathologist was not aware prior to his examination that it was from a Eucharistic host.

If anyone would care to watch this nine minute video I am sure that it will help you to pause as you eat the sacred host. You will do more than just swallow the host: you will really taste the truth of the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel Reading. John 6:41-51