Thursday after Laetare Sunday
Posted on March 23, 2023 by under
Scripture: St. John 6:52-59 (NKJV)
6:52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.
Devotion
Here Jesus expounds on the divine understanding of the flesh of the Lamb of God, of the Crucified, whose blood is shed for the life of the world. Whosoever eats that flesh and drinks that blood (in the sacrament which the Son of Man instituted as the perpetual memorial of His death and as the vehicle of its blessing) has eternal life and shall be raised up by the Son of Man at the last day. Whoever eats it shall be in abiding communion with Him who shares the life of the Father, the Source and Creator of all life.
The Jews react negatively, murmuring when the “son of Joseph” dares to lay claim to divine Sonship and descent from heaven. They dispute among themselves when the grace and love of the Father confront them with the incredible gift of eternal life in the flesh and blood of the Son of Man, given “for us Christians to eat and to drink.” Even many of the disciples find the words of Jesus a hard saying and take offense at them. They draw back and forsake His fellowship just when they encounter the “greater things” which Jesus had promised, just when they behold the glory of the Son of Man.
Prayer: Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of Thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Season of Lent
Almighty and Everlasting God, Who hatest nothing that Thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
