Totus Tuus, Maria! Welcome everyone to our Feast Dasma Bible Study Online Version 2.

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Apologetics Series!

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Opening prayer

Topic for discussion: “Jesus, the Bread of Life!”

Gospel Reading: The Bread of Life Discourse – John 6:35-40

35 [a]Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever
believes in me will never thirst. 36 But I told you that although you have seen [me], you do not
believe. 37 Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who
comes to me, 38 because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who
sent me. 39 And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave
me, but that I should raise it [on] the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who
sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him [on] the last day.”

Footnotes:
a.6:35–59 Up to Jn 6:50 “bread of life” is a figure for God’s revelation in Jesus; in Jn 6:51–58,
the eucharistic theme comes to the fore. There may thus be a break between Jn 6:50–51.
Gospel Q & A: “To eat the bread of heaven means to believe in Jesus. Do you believe that
whatwe receive during communion is Jesus in the Holy Eucharist?”

Gospel Background:
Today’s Gospel is the continuation of what is called the Bread of Life Discourse, which started last
Monday and will extend until Saturday. And in order for us to understand this Bread of Life Discourse,
let’s read it base on its context.

The Bread of Life Discourse started with the reading of John’s gospel which today places before us two
signs or miracles from previous readings:
- the multiplication of the loaves (Jn. 6:1-15) and
- Jesus walking on the water (Jn. 6:16-21).

which from then on, the people started following Jesus wherever He goes. Bakit? Because they had
seen the one miracle of Jesus that could satisfy their physical need – hunger! So, the people had eaten
and they were all satisfied! But here’s the thing, they wanted more!

It seemed that the Jews were not concerned about looking for the sign or the call of God that was
contained in all of the miracles that they witnessed from Jesus. That’s why here, Jesus is saying in a
way, “the reason you’re looking for me is not because you’ve seen the sign (the feeding of the 5000 is
not just a miracle, but a sign) and although it pointed you to a deeper reality, a deeper truth about who
I am, you’re coming to me because you ate your fill yesterday and you want more food.”
This is why the Lord immediately left them after they have eaten and experienced the miracle of the
multiplication of the bread. And then, they started looking for Him and found Him inside the
Synagogue in Capernaum. (Alam nyo po ba bakit hindi nila alam kung bakit bigla na lang nandun si
Lord without their knowledge (verse 25 – “Lord kelan ka dumating dito?”) as to how He came there?
Well, verse 19 said, Jesus walked on the sea and was seen by His disciples.)

At the synagogue in Capernaum, Jesus had a long conversation with them, about the Bread of Life
Discourse. And in this Discourse are seven brief dialogues explaining the meaning of the
multiplication of the bread, symbol of the new Exodus and of the Eucharistic Supper. But we will
not discuss these dialogues in its entirety, just partly. Instead, we will focus more on the Bread of Life
Discourse, the life of the early Christian communities of St. John and the connection that it has with us
today as modern followers of Jesus.

Now, the central issue is the confrontation between the old Passover of the Exodus and the new
Passover which takes place in Jesus.

The discourse on the bread of life will explain the new Passover which takes place in Jesus and we
continue today on the discourse on the Bread of Life (Jn. 6:22-71), which is extended until Saturday.

(So), after the multiplication of the loaves, the people followed Jesus. They had seen the miracle (the
feeding of the 5,000); they had eaten and were satisfied and wanted more!

But the sad part here is that, it seemed that the Jews were not concerned about looking for the
sign or the call of God that was contained in all of Christ’s miracles that they have seen. That’s
why here, Jesus is saying in a way, “the reason you’re looking for me is not because you’ve seen the
sign (the feeding of the 5000 is not just a miracle, but a sign) and although it pointed you to a deeper
reality, a deeper truth about who I am, you’re coming to me because you ate your fill yesterday and you
want more food.” Now, what is that sign that the Lord is telling?

There are two signs here, first is the mystery of Christ’s divinity and second is the mystery of the
Eucharist or what we call the mystery of the real presence. Unfortunately, the people during the time of
Christ who have seen and experience the miracle of the bread, they were not able to see the sign or the
call of God in their lives.

Today, we all long to see and experience the miracle of the bread, to experience what the people during
the time of Christ have seen. What we do not realize is that, we are experiencing it today each time we
go to mass, where God is calling us everyday to receive Jesus, the Bread of Life, in the most Holy
Eucharist. So then, let’s continue.

When the people found Jesus in the synagogue at Capernaum, He had a long conversation with them,
and it’s called the Bread of Life Discourse.

Actually, it is not really a discourse, but it is a series of seven brief dialogues which explain the
meaning of the multiplication of the bread, which is the symbol of the new Exodus and the symbol of
the Eucharistic Supper.

Gospel Reflection:
• John 6:35-36: I am the bread of life.
I’ve mentioned in our past Bible studies that the purpose of the Gospel of St. John was to help us see
the divinity of Christ, that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, that He is the Second Person of
the Holy Trinity and that He is the savior of the world. But the second purpose, although unstated,
seems to be to fill in some of the blanks left by Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

Whereas the Synoptic Gospels focus on Jesus’ Galilean ministry and mention only one trip to
Jerusalem, John tells us that Jesus made several trips to Jerusalem and mentions only brief excursions
into the northern regions of Samaria and Galilee (Jn. 1:43; 4:3-4; 11:54; 21:1).

Whereas the Synoptics tell us of Jesus’ ministry after the arrest of John the Baptist, the Fourth Gospel
informs us that Jesus’ ministry was already under way before John’s imprisonment (Jn. 3:24).

Likewise, whereas the Synoptics narrate the Last Supper, John is silent about the Eucharistic words and
actions of Jesus, instead, he’s chosen to recount the Bread of Life discourse where Jesus first promises
to give Himself to the world as sacramental food (Jn. 6:35-58). These differences have suggested to
several scholars, ancient and modern alike, that John was familiar with one or more of the Synoptic
Gospels. If so, he must have wanted to give readers additional information about the life and teaching
of Jesus that would supplement the authentic Gospels already in circulation.

Jesus, is the Bread of Life that came down from heaven (Jn. 6:33 - “For the bread of God is that
which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”), and very enthusiastically, the people
asked:

“Lord, give us always that bread!” (Jn 6:34). They thought that Jesus was speaking about some
particular kind of bread, akala yata ng mga tao pandecoco! This is why, the people, interested in getting
this bread, ask: “Give us always of this bread!”

This petition of the people reminds us of the conversation of Jesus with the Samaritan woman, who
similarly spoke the same words! Jesus had said that she could have had within her a spring of living
water, welling up to eternal life, and she, in a very interested way, asks: “Lord, give me of that water!”
(Jn. 4:15).

Just as the people in today’s Gospel who are not aware that Jesus was not speaking of material bread,
the Samaritan woman is also not aware that Jesus is not speaking about material water.

Because of this, Jesus responds very clearly: “I am the bread of life! No one who comes to Me will
ever hunger; no one who believes in Me will ever thirst.”

For a very long time now, the teaching about the body and blood of Jesus as truly present in the Holy
Eucharist has been the disagreement among Catholics and Protestants as well as other denominations,
who do not believe that it is really Jesus we are receiving whenever we receive communion.

(Give apologetic explanation on John 6:50-51 up to 70 putting emphasis that ancient Jews are
forbidden to drink blood)

50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. – unlike
the manna in the desert, those who ate it still died.
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.
This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” – His flesh, literal sense and
not symbolic!
52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh
to eat?” (it is forbidden for Jews to drink blood)

53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink
His blood, you have no life in you.
54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last
day.
55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.
57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me
will live because of me.
60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

- specific foods like pork and shellfish, are forbidden;

- meat and dairy may not be combined and
- meat must be ritually slaughtered and salted to remove all traces of blood.

Observant Jews will eat only meat or poultry that is certified kosher!

To eat the bread of heaven is the same as believing in Jesus. And to believe that He has come from
heaven as a revelation of the Father. This is exactly what Jesus taught us today to accept, the way His
Apostles and the early Christians accepted it and is part of what the early Christians believed!

Let us not be like the crowd or Pharisees, in spite of having seen Jesus, did not believed in Him. Jesus
is aware of the lack of faith and says: “You have seen Me and you do not believe.” You can start
calling yourselves blessed! Because you did not see Jesus but you believe in Him! Amen!

• John 6:37-40: To do the will of Him who sent me.

After the conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus had said to his disciples: “My food is to do the
will of Him who sent Me!” (Jn. 4:34).

Here, in the conversation with the people on the bread from heaven, Jesus touches on the same theme:
“I have come from heaven not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me. And this is
the will of Him who sent Me that I should lose nothing of all that He has given to me; but that I should
raise it up on the last day.” (verse 38-40)

This is the food which people should look for: to do the will of the Heavenly Father. And this is the
bread which nourishes the person in life and gives him/her life.

Eternal life begins here, a life which is stronger than death! If we are really ready to do the will of the
Father, we will have no difficulty to recognize the Father present in Jesus and we won’t have any
difficulty in recognizing Jesus in the Holy Eucharist as well.

Sister and brother, part and parcel of our faith and love for Jesus that we so often declare is our
personal commitment, not just to one aspect of His teaching, but all of it!

Hindi po pwedeng;
- “ay magse-serve ako, pero dahil ayaw ko kay father, hindi na ako magsisimba.”
 - “ay maniniwala ako sa lahat ng sakramento, maliban lang sa sakramento ng kumpisal.”
- “ay dun ako sa kung saan ako masaya, at liligaya, naiintindihan naman ako ni Lord eh!”

Friends, nowadays, yung pagsunod natin sa Diyos, ay nakabase na sa kung ano ang gusto natin, kung
saan tayo masaya at liligaya kahit mali, we even try to twist scripture and make our own interpretation
to justify our motives.

Acts 2:42 said; “They devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and to prayer.”

Bakit ko po sinasabi ang mg bagay na ito?

When the Gospel begins to demand commitment, marami sa atin ayaw na! Marami sa atin puro na
dahilan, puro pansariling kagustuhan at pansariling paniniwala at opinyon.

“. . . ay tatanggap ako ng komunyon kahit hindi ako naniniwala na ito ay tunay na katawan at dugo ni
Jesus.”

“. . . ay tatanggap ako ng komunyon kahit na may mortal sin ako, kasi nakakahiya lahat sila pumipila
ako hindi, mao-obvious ako!”

Let us all be reminded what St. Paul said to the Corinthians – “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or
drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood
of the Lord. Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.…”
- 1 Cor. 11:27-28

Alam nyo po, the bread that comes down from heaven, the Eucharist, is not a “something” that we
receive, because IT IS A SOMEONE that we receive! And that “someone” is our Lord Jesus Christ!
And He, the true bread, promises eternal life to us. But to receive it, it is necessary that we are worthy,
that we are willing to believe in Him and make that personal commitment to serve Him, HIS WAY!

=====================End========================

Transubstantiation (is a doctrine) - the complete change of the substance of bread and wine
into the substance of Christ's body and blood by a validly ordained priest during the consecration
at Mass, so that only the accidents of bread and wine remain. – Catholic Dictionary

- can be traced back in apostolic times, but

- the term itself was a later development. With the Eastern Fathers before the sixth century,
the favored expression was meta-ousiosis, “change of being”;
- the Latin tradition coined the word transubstantiatio, "change of substance,"
which was incorporated into the creed of the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215.
- The Council of Trent, in defining the term as (the) "wonderful and singular conversion of
the whole substance of the wine into the blood" of Christ, and such conversion is called
transubstantiation" by Catholic Church (Denzinger 1652).
- after transubstantiation, the accidents of bread and wine do not inhere (exist essentially or
permanently in) in any subject or substance whatever. Yet they are not make-believe they
are sustained in existence by divine power.
An accident, in philosophy, is an attribute that may or may not belong to a subject, without
affecting its essence. ... In this example, the bread and wine are considered accidents, since at
transubstantiation, they become incidental to the essential substance of body and blood of Jesus.
Incidental – is the inevitable or unavoidable result of the change.
The Bleeding Host Miracle 1998 - Betania, Venezuela on December 8th, 1991 (The Feast of the
Immaculate Conception)
Results of all the scientific experimentation and testing of the Eucharistic Miracles
The analyses were conducted with absolute and unquestionable scientific precision and they
were documented with a series of microscopic photographs. These analyses sustained the
following conclusions:
 The Flesh is real Flesh. The Blood is real Blood.
 The Flesh and the Blood belong to the human species.
 The Flesh consists of the muscular tissue of the heart.
 In the Flesh we see present in section: the myocardium, the endocardium, the vagus nerve
and also the left ventricle of the heart for the large thickness of the myocardium.
 The Flesh is a “HEART” complete in its essential structure.
 The Flesh and the Blood have the same blood-type: AB (Blood-type identical to that
which Prof. Baima Bollone uncovered in the Holy Shroud of Turin).
 In the Blood there were found proteins in the same normal proportions (percentage-wise)
as are found in the sero-proteic make-up of the fresh normal blood.
 In the Blood there were also found these minerals: chlorides, phosphorus, magnesium,
potassium, sodium and calcium.
 The preservation of the Flesh and of the Blood, which were left in their natural state for
twelve centuries and exposed to the action of atmospheric and biological agents, remains
an extraordinary phenomenon.