John 6,48-57: "I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which people may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.' Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?' 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. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 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."    (Today’s NIV)

This paragraph shows us how difficult it sometimes is to understand symbols right. At that time the Jews thought of his visible flesh, Catholics today might think of the host in the communion, which is said to truly turn into the flesh of Christ, only that we do not notice with our five senses. And indeed it works fascination on us how Jesus describes his intimate connection with us.

This is exactly what we desire, God’s life in us. We want to experience and to taste, we want to be strengthened every day anew and sense a vibrant vitality in us as God is vital. But how is this possible? In this respect our question is not much different from that of the Jews. Even as Christians we cannot imagine how this might still happen in a deeper way.

Jesus does not provide us with a panacea. The solution lies not in an outward activity (the Lord’s supper), even as it can help us to consciously meditate. It is to be found in his person. Jesus himself is the bread of life. His life is our life. He had to give it up on the cross so that we were able to receive it. But now it is ours! And every time when I consciously meet him, whether in prayer, in the Lord’s supper, in silence or in his word, this bread fills and strengthens me and I am being refreshed by the assurance that I am declared not guilty in everything through his blood.