First Reading first: Like yesterday, we get an honest introduction to Christianity:
There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem,and all were scattered...Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church;entering house after house and dragging out men and women,he handed them over for imprisonment.
BUT that's not the whole story. It couldn't be, for if Christian life was all torture and desolation, it couldn't have possibly lasted 2000 years and spread everywhere. The first reading ends on the whole point of everything: "there was great joy".
Uhh what? How is it that Phillip calmly goes down to Samaria amidst terrible persecution from Saul, and is able to preach joyfully? It's not like it was a secret people were getting imprisoned for believing this stuff, and it wasn't just Phillip but everyone who was scattered went along their refugee way preaching the word.
After hearing about Saul's rampage against Christians, the responsorial psalm is "Let all the earth cry out to God with joy" That seems odd. What is with Christianity and this whole suffering and joy going together thing?
The answer, of course, is Jesus.
The Gospel continues the bread of life discourse of yesterday, and Jesus says "I will not reject anyone who comes to me" and "everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life and I shall raise him on the last day".
This is the Good News, the source of those tortured Christians joy-- with the bread of life one never hungers, never thirsts. Though they may on earth face starvation and drought, they can still rejoice in the fact that it is nothing to eternity. Not only that, but temporal suffering can be united to that of Christ and made meaningful, so that it is something to eternity, but a good sort of something.
Many didn't like all of this 'my Father' "I am the bread" "come to me" "I should raise" etc. talk. It sounded preeeetty blasphemous. But that only works if it isn't true. IF he really is the bread of life, it can't be a sin against humility to say so. If he really is God, he can't really blaspheme. This is the mind blowing, life changing, awesome claim that is either completely insane or the most true thing you'll ever hear. These are not the words of a nice guy preacher of the kindergarten grade golden rule- this speech drove a lot of people away, and he let them go. That joy amid suffering we encounter in the first reading and in every saint ever is only possible in this bordering on crazy claim that God became not only one of us, but our food. It is crazy, but love always has been a little insane.
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