'The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.' Sunday Reflections, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

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The Gospel of John (2003)  Dir. by Philip Saville. Jesus played by Henry Ian Cusick; narrator, Christopher Plummer. [Today's gospel from 1:31 to 2:54]

Gospel John 6:51-58 (NRSV, Catholic Edition, Canada) 
Jesus said to the crowds:
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

Mass in the Trenches, The Great War (1914-18)

During his homily in St Peter's Basilica on 26 April this year at the ordination Mass of 19 new priests Pope Francis said: Indeed, in being configured to Christ the eternal High Priest, and joined to the priesthood of their Bishop, they will be consecrated as true priests of the New Testament, to preach the Gospel, to shepherd God’s people, to preside at worship, and especially to celebrate the Lord’s Sacrifice.

In using the words 'being configured to Christ' Pope Francis was echoing what both St John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI taught.
Full post here.

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