We learn
from a very early age that we all have five basic senses. One could
argue that there are other senses that we have that allow us to take
in the world around us (for example we have a sense of balance and a
sense of direction). However, it is the five basic senses of touch,
smell, hearing, sight, and taste that I want to focus on right now.
We are dependent on those senses for understanding everything that is
happening around us and what is happening to us. Even if one of
those senses of an individual is blocked or disabled in some way, the
other senses of that individual are often heightened to make up for
the loss of the one. I'm sure we have all noticed how small children
learn about many things simply by using as many of their senses as
they can. It is fascinating to watch a baby or a toddler explore his
or her world. They are constantly touching things and feeling with
their hands and face. They listen and smell and watch and everything
they can get their hands on will eventually end up in their mouth,
whether it is edible or not.
When you
think about it, our celebration of the Mass and the Sacraments
utilize these different senses to help us enter more fully into
worship. We smell the incense burning, the smoke of the candles, and
the perfume of the Sacred Chrism at Confirmations and Baptisms. We
hear the organ and other music, as well as the various prayers. This
includes the words of absolution after we confess our sins to a
priest. We see the colors of the vestments and altar cloths change
throughout the seasons. We see the expanse of flowers and
decorations at Christmas and Easter, and we see the stark simplicity
of the altar at Advent and Lent. We watch as a couple make their
vows and exchange rings, as water is poured on a baby's head, and as
the priest offers the holy sacrifice of the Mass. We might not
remember it, but we felt the water pour on our heads at Baptism and
the Chrism on our heads at Confirmation. We feel each other's hands
as we make the sign of peace and as we greet and say good bye. When
it comes to the Eucharist, we can feel the Body and Blood touch our
lips, and we taste them as well.
Despite all
these sensory things going on in our liturgies, our senses are only
able to tell us so much. There is the spiritual side to all of this
as well. The Eucharist is a great example of this. We see, touch
and taste what looks, feels, and tastes like unleavened bread and
ordinary wine, yet our faith tells us that we are receiving the Body
and Blood of Jesus Christ. The Eucharist is so much more than
ordinary food. It has been given to us from Heaven, by God.
Our first
reading comes from the Book of Exodus. The Israelites have passed
through the Red Sea, narrowly escaping Pharaoh's army. They are now
in the desert on the Sinai Peninsula and without food. They will
complain about water in the next chapter, but for now their concern
is food. So they complain to Moses and his brother Aaron (their
civil and spiritual leaders) that they would have rather have died in
Egypt with full bellies than to die of starvation in the desert. God
responds by giving quail in the evening and manna in morning. He
even adds a test for the people to see if they are paying attention:
each day they are only to collect as much as they need for each
household. For forty years, God provided this manna of the
Israelites until they finally made it into the Promised Land.
For the
Jewish people, the manna was and still is a sign of God's loving
providence. It shows that God was looking out for the people and was
providing them with all that they needed. For us Christians we also
recognize it as a sign of God's providence, but we also see it as a
foreshadowing of an even bigger event that will take place several
thousand years later in the New Testament. I am talking about the
institution of the Most Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper.
Today's
Gospel reading from the Gospel of John is also a foreshadowing of the
Eucharist. Last week we heard about the multiplication of the loaves
and fish. The people there were very excited about this miracle and
have now followed Jesus hoping to see more. Jesus tells them that
they should be looking for something much more important than a next
meal. The people then ask for a sign from Jesus so that they will
believe in Him. They witnessed the miracle with the loaves and fish,
but they want to make sure it wasn't just a coincidence or a fluke.
They want to see Jesus do one more sign or miracle before they make
their last leap of faith and continue to follow Him. The people
reference the same sign that we just read about from Exodus. “He
gave them bread from heaven to eat”. Jesus then explains that this
bread from heaven was given to the Israelites by God, and brings life
to the world. He then says the line that will be our refrain for the
next several weeks: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me
will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst”.
Jesus is the bread of life; the bread of life is the Eucharist; the
Eucharist is Jesus.
We Catholics
believe in what is called Transubstantiation. The word means “to
change substance” and it is the reason we can say that the
Eucharist is truly Jesus even though it still looks, feels and tastes
like bread and wine. The substance of a thing is what it actually
is, as opposed to it's physical characteristics. As I said at the
beginning we can tell what something is by our senses taking in it's
physical characteristics. We can tell that something is a building
or a tree or a person by looking, and touching, et
cetera.
During the Eucharistic prayer, the physical characteristics of the
bread and wine on the altar stay the same, but the substance changes.
It is no longer bread and wine, but the Body and Blood of Jesus. It
is not longer just ordinary bread, but the Bread of Life that has
come to bring life to the world.
Our
senses can tell us a lot about the world, but we need our faith to
understand the spiritual. God has given us a great spiritual gift in
giving us Eucharist. Let us continue our worship in thanksgiving for
that gift.
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