John 6.52-59 – Friday of the Third Week of Easter
“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.” These words, which may seem familiar to us, however, they are very difficult for those who hear them in today’s Gospel. And, in a way, it’s understandable.
Jesus’ language is strong, provocative, almost scandalous. Throughout history, precisely because of these words, Christians have been misunderstood and accused of absurd practices. But Jesus’ invitation has nothing to do with a material or distorted reading. It is not an invitation to cannibalism, but to faith. Jesus asks us to believe that He himself is truly present in that bread and wine. Not just as a symbol, but as a true presence. And when we eat something, that something enters us, nourishes us, becomes part of our life.
The Eucharist, then, is not an external or merely spiritual gesture. It’s something real. It concerns our entire person: body, soul, spirit. It is an encounter that passes through the concreteness of signs and touches our existence in depth. «He remains in me and I in him». It is a mutual relationship, a real communion. We are not just the ones who “receive” something, but we are involved in a greater life.
For this reason, the Christian faith cannot be reduced to a psychological or sentimental dimension. It’s not just an emotion or a thought. It is a reality that is incarnated, that is communicated through the sacraments, and in a particular way in the Eucharist. Jesus concludes with a radical promise: “Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” Faced with this word there are not many alternatives: we can welcome it or reject it. And a lot of our life depends on this choice. It’s the same question that runs through the Gospel: do we really trust what Jesus says, or do we prefer to distance ourselves because it seems too big to us? Faith, once again, is a choice. A choice that concerns our concrete life.
Friday 24 April 2026 – (Friday of the Third Week of Easter)
