Not Momma's Fried Chicken

Eating the Eucharist alone brings everlasting life

  John 6:51-52

Jesus said to the Jewish 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."

            What we eat says a lot about us, have you noticed?  Think about this for a moment.  Food is not merely a matter of taste – you like hamburgers, I like chicken curry – it reveals a lot more than that about us.  For example, what you eat says something about your priorities.  Some people spend enormous amounts of money on food and only eat fru-fru delicacies in fine restaurants.  I, on the other hand, never spend any money on food because I go to your home to eat!  That says something about us, doesn’t it?  Some people only eat healthy food – salads and fruit and nuts – and drink only bottled water – ugh, what’s wrong with those people??  My brother-in-law is a dentist and he says that if you have healthy teeth, you’ll have a healthy body because what you put into your body passes by your teeth.  Your teeth tell the tale of your body’s health or lack thereof.

             Your appetite can even reveal your ethnic background.  Did you hear about the man who walks up to the counter and orders a plate of potatoes?  The woman serving says, “Oh, you must be from Ireland.”  The man is furious and says, “What sort of stereotypical remark is that?!  If I walked in here and asked for an enchilada, would you assume I was a Mexican?”  “Well, no,” answered the lady.  “And if I walked in here and asked for chow mein, would you think I was Chinese?” asks the man.  “No, I suppose not,” replied the woman.  “So why do you automatically assume I’m Irish when all I want is a plate of potatoes?” asks the man.  The woman replies, “Because this is a hair salon.”  You know, Immaculate Conception is an Irish parish so I figured you would get that joke.  What we eat says more about us than just our diet.  What we eat also reveals our priorities, where we spend our money, who we spend time with, and so much more.  Your eyes are not the only windows into your soul, so is your mouth.

             In the gospel today Jesus talks about the most important thing we will ever put into our mouths.  He says, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.”  He goes on to clarify what he means by this “heavenly bread,” saying, “And the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”  In other words, Jesus instructs us explicitly to eat his body and drink his blood.  In John chapter 6 he says it multiple times so you don’t miss his point.

                For just a moment think of the most delicious food you’ve ever tasted.  Maybe it was a meal at a five-star restaurant in Paris, or maybe it’s your mom’s homecooking.  I personally love the gelato in Rome at “Old Bridge Gelateria,” just outside the Vatican Museum entrance.  It’s the bomb!  But do you know what’s going to happen to you after you eat all that delicious food?  Eventually, you’re going to die.  The purpose of food is to keep you alive, but no food will keep you alive forever.  Even if you ate nothing but salads and fruits and pecans and seaweed and only drank omega3 fishoil and the purest water in the world, and had an exclusively anti-inflammatory diet, what would happen?  You’d still end up dead.  On the other hand, if you eat the food that is the flesh of Jesus, that is, Holy Communion, you will be able to live forever.  You see, what we eat says a lot about us: it says whether we’re more worried about living in this world or in the next.  Sometimes, your mouth is a better window into your soul than your eyes.

             I would like to clear up a little confusion today about confession.  Some people think you don’t need to go to confession if you miss Mass on Sunday.  If you think that, please raise your hand.  I’m sorry to tell you this, folks, but those people are dead wrong.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church says in No. 2181: “The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice.  For this reason the faithful are obligated – meaning you gotta go! – to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants).”  Here comes the kicker, listen now: “Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.”  “Grave sin” is another way of saying “mortal sin,” and you must confess a mortal sin.  But why is missing Mass a mortal sin?  Is it just because, well, you know, we’re Catholic and we love to make up arbitrary rules to make everyone miserable?  (Well, we do have arbitrary rules that make you miserable, but this isn’t one of them!)  Making it to Mass on Sunday is a matter of life and death.  Jesus said, “He who eats my flesh will live forever.”  The implication is obvious for the Catholic who doesn’t eat his flesh: no life forever.  Only the Eucharist is the food of eternal life, not French crepes, not Cajun boudin, not Maine lobster, not Alaskan salmon, not your momma’s fried chicken!  Only if you eat the bread of angels will you one day be able to fly with the angels in heaven.  You see, my brother-in-law was absolutely right: your teeth tell the tale of your health.  They not only reveal if your body will live very long, but also how long your soul will live.

            Do you know what is the first stage of human development?  Beginning with Sigmund Freud and down to Erik Erikson, there’s universal agreement it is something called the “oral stage,” where the baby basically tries to shove the whole world into his or her mouth: toys, and crayons and dog food and anything else that’s within reach.  Their mouth is like a black hole that sucks in everything that comes close – be very careful!  Well, in the spiritual life, there is a corresponding “oral stage” where we learn to taste and see how good God is through our mouths.  The difference is, when we consume Holy Communion, we shove (not all this world but) all of heaven into our mouths.  What you eat says a lot about you.

  

         Praised be Jesus Christ!