today it sounds naïve, off-putting, and even cannibalistic. The very word John
uses here, sarx, is the same word Paul uses throughout his letters to describe the
opposite of spirit. He does not use the softer word for body, soma. This is quite
amazing to me.
I have come to realize that, in offering his body, Jesus is precisely giving us
his full bodily humanity more than his spiritualized divinity! “Eat me,” he
shockingly says, eating being such a fundamental bodily action, more basic and
primitive than thinking or talking. The very fleshly humanity that Paul later
presents negatively in his usage, Jesus presents positively.
Because of my education, I am aware of the theological distinctions and
clarifications about what Jesus’s words are supposed to mean: he is giving us his
full Jesus-Christ self—that wonderful symbiosis of divinity and humanity. But
the vehicle, the medium, and the final message here are physical, edible,
chewable, yes, digestible human flesh. Much of ancient religion portrayed God
eating or sacrificing humans or animals, which were offered on the altars, but
Jesus turned religion and history on their heads, inviting us to imagine that God
would give himself as food for us!
Further, some of us might know how to receive another human person. But
God? This is a plunge that most cannot make early in their journeys, except
perhaps in a highly intellectual way. In our hearts, we have a hard time
believing we’re worthy, which is probably why we create intellectual and moral
reasons for disbelieving or excluding ourselves and others from the Eucharist. In
the Roman Rite, we all publicly say before coming to the altar, “Lord, I am not
worthy that you should come under my roof.” Then those of us who come
forward to receive are supposed to pretend that we are indeed worthy, it seems.
And the message that everybody knows is that the “unworthy ones” (variously
defined) should not come forward! A very mixed and contradictory message
right in the heart of the liturgy.
One helpful piece of the Catholic ritual, however, is our orthodox belief in
“Real Presence.” By that we mean that Jesus is somehow physically present in
the sacramental bread. This sets the stage for recipients to experience what I like
to call “carnal knowledge” of God, who is normally assumed to be Spirit. It
seems that mere mind-knowing is not enough, because it does not engage the
heart or soul. The mistake happens when those who cannot make this mental
assent are deemed “unworthy” to receive. But your only real prerequisite for
participation or “worthiness” is in fact your capacity for presence yourself. This
is not accomplished just in the head. Presence is a unique capacity that includes