TAKE ME IF YOU WANT TO LIVE.

TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. YEAR B
August 16, 2009.
(First Reading: Proverbs 9:1-6) (Second Reading: Ephesians 5:15-20)
(Gospel Reading: John 6:51-58)


TAKE ME IF YOU
WANT TO LIVE.

Jesus says, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you" (John 6:53).

Why Does Jesus Want to Give Us His Life? Because we do not have enough life, because we lack true life.

The Book of Proverbs referring to the understanding of the life of God, tells us: "To him who lacks understanding, I say, come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have mixed! Forsake foolishness that you may live; advance in the way of understanding" (Proverbs 9:4-6).

Jesus, fully cognizant that we, human beings, now lack true life, tells us: "I am the bread that came down from heaven... Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life" (John 6:58). Jesus wants to make sure that we fully understand that we can truly possess his life, just as by the action of "eating and "drinking" a person keeps his physical being alive.

Our world is lacking in life. We live in a world which abounds in death. Saint Paul reminds us: "These are evil days" (Ephesians: 5:16).

"These days are evil" because man's understanding of life has become radically distorted, and what is death is taken as if it were life.

Saint Paul advises us, "Do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord"( Ephesians 5:17).

Do not ignore the struggle between good and evil; the struggle between Jesus who wants to give us his life versus the evil one who wants to lead us to death.

It is up to us to grow in the understanding of life so that we may take the life of Jesus and reject the death that comes from the evil one.