Bread of Life Discourse PASTORAL AID for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This homiletic resource, created in collaboration with Fr. Michael Seavey of Portland, Maine, is provided to reflect on the Bread of Life discourse in the Gospel of John, chapter 6. It engages themes emphasized by the teaching of Francis, such as the spirituality of work, the works of mercy, and the culture of secularism.

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time or from one nation to another in search for Lectionary: 113 decent living conditions. The also acknowledges that all countries have a Emanuel and Esperanza Gonzalez entered the right to good public order including control of United States with their two small children in their borders. Somewhere in this seemingly 1998. Escaping abject poverty in their Mexican contradictory conflict of rights, there are village, they crossed into our country without opportunities to address all needs for public order documents seeking any opportunity to provide based on justice and security. A life of basic needs for their family. Once settled, they insists that public order will be discovered in worked hard in low wage jobs, paid taxes like what is truly human, and not the other way everyone else, and provided for their family. around. The subject of immigration policy is They had another child in 2005. very complicated and finds people of good will on many sides of the issue. However, in a sweep for undocumented workers, Emanuel, Esperanza, and their two oldest children In his teaching on the Eucharist and daily life, were arrested and deported back to Mexico. Yet Pope Benedict XVI wrote, “In discussing the their six-year old son, born in the United States social responsibility of all Christians . . . the and therefore a citizen, was taken from them and sacrifice of Christ is a mystery of liberation placed in our foster care system with little hope that constantly and insistently challenges of seeing his family again. Other than their status us. I therefore urge all the faithful to be true as undocumented workers, they were law-abiding promoters of peace and justice: ‘All who partake residents. They were faithful churchgoers, good of the Eucharist must commit themselves to parents, and their children were highly regarded in peacemaking in our world scarred by violence local schools and neighborhoods. Yet, when and war, and today in particular, by terrorism, deported, their youngest child was taken from economic corruption and sexual exploitation’ them and their family was shattered. (Propositio 48)” (Sacramentum Caritatis, no. 89).

The Catholic Church recognizes the rights of The risen Lord draws us into his eternal sacrifice persons and families to move within their country, at every gathering for the Eucharist. Our life

1 PASTORAL AID is called to a complete transformation into the frequent use of this word in several writings on life of Christ. As we consume the Eucharist, . the Eucharist is meant to consume us. Our life becomes the life of Christ. Our pleasures and Incorporating Pope John Paul II’s teachings, the desires are transformed into the Lord’s pleasures Compendium on the Social Doctrine of the Church and desires. Our hopes and dreams are shaped presents solidarity as “an authentic moral virtue, by God’s dreams. Our vision becomes Christ’s not a ‘feeling of vague compassion or shallow vision. Our heart becomes the very heart of Jesus distress at the misfortunes of so many people, loving all humanity with a passion that also both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and becomes a divine passion within us. persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good. That is to say to the good of all Three Sundays ago we began the proclamation of and of each individual, because we are all really Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse from St. John’s responsible for all’ (Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, no. Gospel. Jesus begins his discourse after feeding 38). Solidarity rises to the rank of fundamental thousands with a few loaves and fishes. Moved social virtue since it places itself in the sphere with compassion by their hunger, Jesus taught of justice” (Compendium, no. 193). his disciples that following him required the same compassion from them. This compassion would Pope John Paul II’s urgent call to solidarity has later compel them to engage those deprived and major implications for the Gonzalez family. Their suffering throughout the world. story is actually a composite of reality facing many undocumented families in our nation. As a Over the many centuries, the Church has spoken Church so strongly committed to family life, this this truth with many images and symbols. During shattering of families through federal law is heart his long pontificate, Pope John Paul II promoted breaking and searing of our national conscience. this compassionate engagement using the What “public good” or “national security” issue term “solidarity.” Certainly, the Solidarity labor requires these families being broken apart? movement in his native Poland during the 1980s Church teaching promotes reuniting immigrant influenced his using this term. The Solidarity families as a right to be respected and honored labor movement was one cause for undermining (Compendium, no. 298). the Communist grip on all of Eastern Europe following World War II. Solidarity requires us to see ourselves and see the world around us through the vision of the But the word “solidarity” had been used in Catholic risen Lord. We are to re-evaluate our own values social teaching and various labor movements and society’s values through the lens of morality for generations beforehand. Pope John Paul II flowing from the glorified humanity of Christ. emphasized the importance of solidarity with his We are to seek the healing and renewal of the

2 PASTORAL AID human community empowered by the presence Pope John Paul II once wrote, “Countless are the of Christ in the Eucharist. emergencies to which every Christian heart must be sensitive” (, no. 51). Solidarity requires us to stand with families from No one of us can do it all. But all of us together being needlessly broken apart. Solidarity does not can impact the world around us with the vision pretend to have easy or simple solutions but rather and power of the risen Lord flowing from the acknowledges life’s complexities and unintended Eucharist. consequences. Furthermore, solidarity commits us to stand with these families, advocate on their Pope Benedict XVI summed it up by quoting behalf, and discern through dialogue paths of Jesus from the Bread of Life discourse, “the bread resolution that are just and honorable. I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world” (Jn 6:51) (Sacramentum Caritatis, no. 88). In these The Eucharist calls us to a life of solidarity. words, the Lord reveals the true meaning of Solidarity is a connection and a commitment the gift of his life for all people. These words to the common good. It is a vision of justice also reveal his deep compassion for every man that embraces all people and realizes that God’s and woman. . . . Our communities, when they creation is meant to sustain the basic human celebrate the Eucharist, must become ever more needs of all people and enable the flourishing conscious that the sacrifice of Christ is for all, of human communities. Solidarity requires a and that the Eucharist thus compels all who demanding moral vision, an uncompromising believe in him to become “‘bread that is broken’ respect for the dignity of each and every person, for others, and to work for the building of a more and a justice that serves all people. just and fraternal world” (no. 88).

These and all economic and political issues are Note: both complex and difficult. But the Church insists 1. See “Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity”, USCCB, 2000. See also Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. these are also moral problems requiring a moral 2241; Compendium of The Social Doctrine of The Church, no. vision. Solidarity requires advocacy and works of 298; Pope John Paul II, , no. 65. justice, assuring that all people have the opportunities to participate in the good of creation and to contribute their responsible portion for others to benefit. This process involves listening, learning, discerning, acting, and then repeating the process over and over again.

Catholic This article is was originally published on www.USCCB.org as “Bread of Life Homily: Week 4.” Current Copyright © 2015, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington DC. All rights reserved. Excerpt from the Compendium on the Social Doctrine of the Church, copyright © 2004, Libreria Editrice Vati- cana (LEV), Vatican City State. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Quotes from Pope John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte, copyright © 2001, Libreria Editrice Vaticana (LEV), Vatican City State. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Quotes from Pope Benedict XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis, copyright © 2005, Libreria Editrice Vaticana (LEV), Vatican City State. All rights reserved. Used with permission. 3