A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John (Jn 6: 44 – 51)
Jesus said to the crowds: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets:
They shall be taught by God. Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. 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 Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
An “altar” is a place that stands higher than any other object in a locality and on which an offering is directed towards God. Its root-word is alta, the same root-word for altura, which in Italian or Spanish means “height”, “high above” or “tall”. As the highest place in a site, they are the focus of the attention for those present. In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us the reason why in every mass two altars are used: To be taught and to receive new life!
Both altars are used to fulfill what is written in the prophets. The Ambo is the altar where the prophecy “They (we) shall be taught by God” (Isaiah 54:13) takes place. The Sacred Table (commonly referred to as the Altar), is where the other prophecy “… by his wounds we are healed… his life an offering for (our) sin(s).” (Isaiah 53) is accomplished.
Jesus states that “Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me” and further he says “…whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I give is my Flesh for the life of the world.” That is why we first hear the Word of God and the Homily (where the priest or the deacon explains its connection to our lives), and then we partake of the Body and Blood of Christ second. The mystery of the Bread and Wine cannot be fully understood or appreciated unless we are first instructed and drawn to Jesus by God.
In turn, we cannot receive eternal life in the presence of God, if we do not first believe in the one who was sent by God to lead us back to the Father; if we first do not believe that Jesus’ body and blood is the bread and wine we receive during communion.
The Ambo helps us to know the Father’s will and to appreciate Jesus’ purpose in our lives, while the Sacred Table offers us Jesus himself, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life!
Action of the Day
The next time you attend mass, try to identify two major parts in which the mass is divided into: The Liturgy of the Word, which takes place from the Ambo, and then the Liturgy of the Eucharist, which takes place from the Sacred Table. As you identify these two major components, recall this Gospel passage and see that every aspect of the mass is established in accord to God’s divine revelation for our eternal salvation!
Audio Reflection:
