Fr. Foeckler’s Lecture Note- Aug 20, 2024

[Michaela]

Fr. Foeckler’s lecture note Aug 20, 2024

 

He mentioned about National Eucharistic Congress. More info can be found here: https://www.eucharisticcongress.org/

 

Gospel for the last 4 wks is about the discourse of Our Lord at Capernaum, in the Book of John.

 

Last Sunday Aug 18th’s Gospel is the 4th out of 5 course regarding the discourse.

 

Gospel

Jn 6:51-58

Jesus said to the crowds:

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven;

whoever eats this bread will live forever;

and the bread that I will give

is my flesh for the life of the world.”

 

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,

“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

Jesus said to them,

“Amen, amen, I say to you,

unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,

you do not have life within you.

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood

has eternal life,

and I will raise him on the last day.

For my flesh is true food,

and my blood is true drink.

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood

remains in me and I in him.

Just 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.

This is the bread that came down from heaven.

Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,

whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

 

This is the second part of Jesus’s discourse. For the past 3 wks, 1st wk starts the introduction of Jesus’ miracle.

2nd, 3rd wks is the 1st part. In this part, Jesus emphasizes the belief, believing in Him.

In the 2nd part 4th, 5th wks, Jesus emphasizes in eating His bread.

 

They understood that literally as talking about eating is blood and body.

“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.

He didn’t back down, he doubled it down. He didn’t argue with people about what He meant about His body and blood, but spoke about them again.

 

Leviticus 17: prohibiting for drinking blood for it’s the blood that makes atonement.

God prohibited Israelites from drinking animals’ blood for it may introduce its sprits to come in whoever eats it. They are supposed to let the blood drain out from the altar for atonement for their sin.

 

Body, blood, soul, divinity, are all in the eucharist. You have to consecrate the body and blood. You have to mingle the body and the blood to symbolize the resurrection. Separate consecration of the body and blood means death.

He doesn’t tell them how, though. This is the reason why many people walked away from Him. People may think Jesus speaks literally, not figuratively. Some of them believe Jesus meant carnibalism. My flesh is real food, my blood is real drink. This emphasizes you really have the chew it. (Lost network connect here.)

 

Next Sunday, when Jesus said who can accept it, then many people left.

Gospel of the Sunday, Aug 25th

 

Gospel

Jn 6:60-69

Many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said,

“This saying is hard; who can accept it?”

Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,

he said to them, “Does this shock you?

What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending

to where he was before?

It is the spirit that gives life,

while the flesh is of no avail.

The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.

But there are some of you who do not believe.”

Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe

and the one who would betray him.

And he said,

“For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me

unless it is granted him by my Father.”

 

As a result of this,

many of his disciples returned to their former way of life

and no longer accompanied him.

Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”

Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life.

We have come to believe

and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

 

Question: Jesus is the living bread, giving his body and blood which have his life in them. Him who feeds my flesh = Whoever eats my flesh. Him here is the believer.

 

Continuing with peoples (Lost connection)

 

Is it just a symbol or his actual body? It’s still a part of mystery.

 

Miracle about the Eucharist in Lanciano, Italy, where the eucharist turned into real flesh, a piece of flesh from heart.

 

Holy communion, common union, is abiding us and Jesus. Jesus is the hub, we are united with Him, Him in the center.

 

Eucharistic congress, local, national…

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