Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time – 25th August 2024

The gospels for the last three Sundays have all been taken from the gospel of St. John. The message from each of them has been about Jesus claiming to be the Bread which has come down from heaven and gives life. It all began with the multiplication of the loaves and the fish. It ends today with the crowd turning against him and nearly all his closest disciples leaving him because of this ‘hard’ teaching.

Jesus claims that his flesh is real food and that his blood is real drink and that to consume them is to have eternal life. Jesus is firm in his own identity and in his message; he is not backing down or giving in. He is not going to change his teaching to be popular or to attract the crowds. Such is his confidence and belief in his teaching, that he even asks his disciples if they too want to leave him because of his ‘hard’ teaching and message.