[Salvation]

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" (John 6:53).

[Salvation]

A better translation:

48

I am the bread of life.

49

Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;

50

this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.

51

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."

52

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?"

53

Jesus said to them, "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.

54

Whoever eats ¹⁹ my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.

55

For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

56

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.

57

Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.

58

This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."

59

These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

60

²⁰ Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?"

61

Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you?

62

What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? ²¹

63

It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh ²² is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

64

But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him.

65

And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father."

 

 

Footnotes:

 

¹⁹ [54-58] Eats: the verb used in these verses is not the classical Greek verb used of human eating, but that of animal eating: "munch," "gnaw." This may be part of John's emphasis on the reality of the flesh and blood of Jesus (cf John 6:55), but the same verb eventually became the ordinary verb in Greek meaning "eat."

²⁰ [60-71] These verses refer more to themes of John 6:35-50 than to those of John 6:51-58 and seem to be addressed to members of the Johannine community who found it difficult to accept the high christology reflected in the bread of life discourse.

²¹ [62] This unfinished conditional sentence is obscure. Probably there is a reference to John 6:49-51. Jesus claims to be the bread that comes down from heaven (John 6:50); this claim provokes incredulity (John 6:60); and so Jesus is pictured as asking what his disciples will say when he goes up to heaven.

²² [63] Spirit . . . flesh: probably not a reference to the eucharistic body of Jesus but to the supernatural and the natural, as in John 3:6. Spirit and life: all Jesus said about the bread of life is the revelation of the Spirit.

[blasater1960]

10 " 'Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood—I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people.

Therefore I say to the Israelites, "None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood."

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law...."

[Straight Vermonter]

Earlier Catholic Words of the Day

Contumely	Alienation	Ethics
Quam Singulari	Indissolubility	Celibacy
Comparative Religion	Founder	Edification
Noumenon	Stag	Ecclesia
Eternal City (Rome)	New Earth	Samuel
Benefice	Papal Regesta	Defender of the Faith
Sacrament House	James the Less	Devotion to St. Joseph
Vicar-General	Holy Doors	Te Deum Laudamus
Preconization	Determinants of Morality	Penitential Psalms
Hatred	Synoptics	Proclamation
Serra International	Purity of Intention	Abomination of Desolation
Matriomonial Contract	Conventual	Doubtful Conscience
Homosexuality	Promised Land	May Laws
Toulouse	Mystery Theology	Eucharistic Meal

[annalex]

he told his followers to eat his body and drink his blood

He also told the Apostles to "do this", that is, He commanded them to be priests (Luke 22:19).