Sean in Le Puys

Sean is staying with Bishop Brincard in Le Puys. He went to the 7am Mass this morning. After every 7am Mass, the Bishop blesses pilgrims on their way to Sant' Iago de Compostela. Today's pilgrims were mostly French but included an Australian, a Swede and some Germans as well.

Sean said that the Bishop made an interesting point during his sermon. He was preaching on the gospel of John chapter 6 verses 53 to 60

53 Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves.

54 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

56 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him.

57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me.

58 This is the bread which came down out of heaven: not as the fathers ate, and died; he that eateth this bread shall live for ever.

59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it?

The Bishop apparently said (and I paraphrase) that these words were not acceptable to the people Jesus was teaching then, and neither are they acceptable to Protestants who went in to a wobbly about it at the Reformation and have never got over it. I had always known that Catholics and Protestants have different views on the Eucharist, but this point came as a surprise. I had never thought of it before.

More modern translations use the phrase "this is intolerable" in verse 60. People have always found this shocking and have reacted with anger and rejection over the centuries. If it shocks in English, the original Greek words used were even more shocking.

Thats the thing about the awkwardness of Christianity. You can't pick and choose, going for bits that are convenient or sound nice; you have to take the whole lot, including the bits you don't like. As Jesus Himself had to.