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Gospel Reading for April 23, 2026 – John 6: 44-51
SKEPTICISM
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 all 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.”
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Jesus made sure that he would remain present to us in the form of bread and wine—offering himself as our spiritual sustenance. Some argue that God cannot be present in matter, and therefore do not believe in Transubstantiation—the mystery by which bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ in substance. Yet this is not something invented by Catholics; it is rooted in the very words of Jesus himself.
At every Eucharistic celebration, we remember him and repeat what he said at the Last Supper: “While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, ‘Take it; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many’” (Mark 14:22–24). And in Luke 22:19, He says, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
One thing is certain: nothing is impossible with God. Rather than approaching this mystery with SKEPTICISM, we are invited to respond with gratitude—that he has lovingly provided a way for us to receive him whenever we participate in the Eucharist. During the Epiclesis, when the presider invokes the Holy Spirit upon the bread and wine, our faith in God—our faith in Jesus—assures us that they truly become his Body and Blood.
Lord, we thank you for your boundless love and thoughtfulness—for ensuring that you remain with us until the end of time!
