Jesus does not shy away from the Jews’ discussion on the strength of the expression about his flesh to eat. It is an expression that undoubtedly shocks and provokes, both in common sense and in religious sense. Jesus, on the other hand, insists and links with the expression to the mystery of his being a son, of his being sent by the Father and of the Easter that awaits him.
In our lives it is not so difficult to witness people who let themselves be eaten by others: one can think of a mother with a small child, a nurse on a chaotic shift, a teacher with 25 children, an employee at the counter during lunch time. points or to a singer on stage at his concert…
There are also cases in which letting ourselves be eaten means being devoured by something that takes away our life: by an addiction, by idolatry, by someone who manipulates us…
However, in Jesus’ giving of himself we can distinguish two characteristics that make him special: first of all in him there is a choice to offer himself, it is a deliberate and not extorted giving of himself. And this is because the source of that offering is not himself alone, it is not the needs of others, but the love of the Father.
His offering of himself, his giving of himself to eat for others is a door to the Father, a way to allow whoever wants it to enter the banquet of communion with God, which is eternal life. And so being eaten can change our lives every day in rediscovering the origin from which everything comes and in being able to read it as a continuous offering for others, to make ourselves a gateway to the banquet of communion between ourselves and with God.
Leonardo Angius SJ
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Source: Get up and Walk – the daily gospel with commentary
