The Fifth Luminous Mystery- The Institution of the Eucharist

The Fifth Luminous Mystery- The Institution of the Eucharist

This is- so far- the most difficult Mystery for me to write about, not because the subject matter is so difficult, but because there is SO MUCH to say! 

You know the story of the Last Supper. We hear the words at every Mass. ..."Do this in remembrance of me."

Those are very important words, and they sent a clear message to those who heard Jesus speak them. You see, "remember" had a far deeper meaning for them than it does for us, especially in the context of the Passover meal Jesus was celebrating with his disciples. In the Passover meal, the Jews believe they are joining at that moment with everyone who has ever eaten the Passover, and with everyone who will ever eat the Passover. It makes all time present in that moment, when they remember God bringing them out of slavery and to freedom. And the guest of honor at the Passover meal was the lamb. It was by the blood of the lamb that they were protected....but there was another specification: everyone present was required to eat of the flesh of the lamb that had been sacrificed, whose blood was poured out.

See where this is going? 

Now. Grab your Bible ( or Google) the Gospel of John, chapter 6. Read it now. Go ahead, I'll wait!

Hum-de-dum-dum....  Back already? Did you really read it?  Go on, even if you think you know what it says. 

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John 6: 54-58  ( from USCCB.ORG )

Whoever eats^* my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.55For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.57Just 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.58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

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Notice- not once, not twice but THREE times, Jesus says you must eat his flesh. Ever wonder why we say HOLY HOLY HOLY during Mass? Or repeat LAMB OF GOD three times? It is because in Hebrew, there are no comparative or superlative forms. So, you cannot say something is 'better' or 'best,'  but it can be GOOD GOOD or GOOD GOOD GOOD. Repetition was also used for emphasis.

Yes. I know Jesus spoke Aramaic. Yes, I know the Gospels were written in Greek. But Jesus also spoke Hebrew ( he could read from the scrolls in the temple), and the literary form of repetition for emphasis was understood then- and is even used in writing and speaking today, because it works, it gets the message across. 

This is what the  United States Council of Catholic Bishops say about the above-cited passage: 

[6:54–58] Eats: the verb used in these verses is not the classical Greek verb used of human eating, but that of animal eating: “munch,” “gnaw.” This may be part of John’s emphasis on the reality of the flesh and blood of Jesus (cf. Jn 6:55), but the same verb eventually became the ordinary verb in Greek meaning “eat.”

When you look at the big picture, there can be no doubt in the reasonable persons mind: Jesus said we must eat his flesh- the flesh of the Lamb whose blood was poured out - if we want to have eternal life. 

When we join in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we are present for the ONE sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And we are doing exactly what he asked us to do.

In the Fifth Luminous Mystery, we remember what we may take for granted: the Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.