Opus Dei- the work of God

John 6:24-35

My reflection on the readings for this Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time is going to be brief. Like last week, I am only going to comment on the Gospel reading. As I mentioned previously, during Year B of the Sunday lectionary, in pretty decent continuity with the Marcan narrative, our Gospel readings for the next several Sundays are taken from the sixth chapter of the Gospel According to Saint John. These five weeks are interrupted this year on the fourth Sunday due to the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary falling on that Sunday. According to the ordering of the liturgical year, this solemnity supersedes the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Last week our Gospel was about Jesus's miraculous feeding of the 5,000. This week's reading tells of the immediate aftermath of that miracle. After chiding them for perhaps following him only to receive a free meal, Jesus urges those in the crowd not to "work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life." In the same breath, he tells them that "the Son of Man" will "give" them this food. Well, food that is given is not worked for, unlike the free beer and pizza offered by a friend after you've helped him move.

The Lord's exhortation to work for the food that gives eternal life is not lost on the people he exhorted. They ask: "What can we do to accomplish the works of God?" Jesus responded by telling them: "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent." Believing that Jesus is the Christ is the work of God, the opus Dei.

Those who were listening knew that Jesus was asserting that he himself is the One God has sent. Predictably, they wanted a sign, some proof that would help them in their unbelief. But they had already received the sign. The food for which Jesus gave thanks and with which they were all fed was the sign. John's Gospel makes this abundantly clear when, after hearing about the bread "which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world" they implore Jesus to give them this bread, he tells them: "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst."

There is a reason, just before receiving communion, everyone who is about to commune, including the priest, echoing the words of the Roman centurion who, in Matthew's Gospel, sought healing for his beloved servant from Jesus, says together: "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof; but only say the word and my soul shall be healed." Here's the thing, Jesus always says the healing word. Do you hear it? If you hear it, you believe it, if you believe it you receive it.

As Jesus made clear in last week's reading from the sixth chapter of John's Gospel, the Eucharist is not an exchange, not a quid pro quo, not a this-for-that proposition, not "You can receive communion because you've been good, you've earned it." I think it is helpful here to mention in passing the close relationship between the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance, a connection that is in danger of being broken and that needs to be better taught, understood, and practiced.

At the end of the day, I worry more about people who think they're worthy to receive communion, especially those who feel they can expaiate on the unworthiness of others, than I am about someone receiving communion unworthily (again, who is worthy?). One is only worthy because Jesus says the healing word. And so, for those who engage in the work of God, the healing word is "Jesus."