In reviewing the readings for the weekend I had wondered why, beginning three weeks ago, that our Sunday lectionary interrupted the Gospel of Mark, in order to insert the 6th chapter of John – a sermon often called: “The Bread of Life Discourse.” Instead of following the earlier Gospel writers and recollecting the Last Supper, John talks about Eucharist in a different way. Why did John make this substitution of stories? After all, what could be more important than Eucharist? It would seem that John’s Gospel goes to great lengths to remind us there is more than just coming to the table to receive the real presence of Christ. So how can the insight of three Jesuits, a game of pinochle and potato pancakes shed light on this Gospel? Click and check it out…

1. 1 Deacon Jim Knipper
16 August 2015 20th
Sunday of Ordinary Time Princeton, NJ
In reviewing the readings for the weekend I had wondered why, beginning three weeks ago, that
our Sunday lectionary interrupted the Gospel of Mark, in order to insert the 6th
chapter of John.
A good part of this chapter, including what we heard this morning is commonly referred to as:
“The Bread of Life Discourse.” It is actually a sermon, given in the rabbinic style, in which Jesus
teaches who he is in relationship to his Father and to us – of how he is one with the Father – of
how he is the giver of eternal life and how we are invited to share in this life that he offers.
In part, this sharing takes place at this table. For throughout this Discourse that we have been
listening to, Jesus tells us of being the Bread of Life – thereby describing this relationship that
Jesus has to each of us. That we are fed and united with Christ at this Eucharistic table:
“Remain in me and I in him.” It is a mutual indwelling – being in communion.
But John’s Gospel goes to great lengths to remind us there is more than just coming to the table
to receive the real presence of Christ. As you know, Matthew, Mark and Luke all give us the
story of the institution of the Eucharist – the story of Jesus gathering his disciples at table:
blessing, breaking and giving them bread and asking them to do the same thing over and over
again and…and to remember him. But some 20 or so years later, when John takes pen to
paper, he doesn’t write anything about the Last Supper, rather he gives us this Bread of Life
Discourse and later in the Gospel, the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples - telling
them that that action is the model to follow - so that as he has done for us, we should also do.
So why did John make this substitution of stories? After all, what could be more important than
Eucharist?
Some theologians say John had little need to talk about Eucharist because it was already in
place for decades, so why repeat the story. But others feel that John had a concern that people
were missing the point – that they were gathering at Home Churches, participating in the
Eucharistic feast, and leaving the liturgy, fed - but unchanged. They received the Body of
Christ….but they were not “remembering” the ‘need to’ and the ‘how to’ live as the Body of
Christ. So John gives us these Eucharistic Gospel passages to teach us that being the body of
Christ means more than just feeding at the table – it means seeing and living in this model
Christ gave us. For it would seem one without the other makes little sense.
So let me share with you a story of a retired Jesuit who through his words and deeds taught me
and so many other students what Eucharist is all about. During my sophomore year at the
University of Scranton I was invited to a birthday dinner of a Jesuit. When I arrived I was
introduced to Fr. Don Pantle, a Jesuit who recently arrived on campus and had volunteered to
do the cooking. As the evening came to a close, Fr. Don invited my two friends and me to stop
by the following weekend to enjoy more food…and more of each other’s company. And with
Don’s simple invitation to the three of us to come back to share stories, share a meal and to

2. 2 Deacon Jim Knipper
break bread - his ministry at the University began…and the model of what Eucharist really
means was introduced to us.
And his model was brilliantly simple: He would gather a group of students in his kitchen, clear
the wooden table and out would come the candles, the bread, the wine and he would say mass.
Then the table would be cleared again and we learned how to cook and enjoy German meals:
Bratwurst, Liver sausage, Kielbasa, and potato pancakes. After dinner, the table would be
cleared and he taught us how to play Pinochle…a card game requiring great thought and one
that Pantle learned as a child and was very good at it! And through it all we would talk about
school, our family, our lives, our loves, our fears and our faith and in doing so he was teaching
us what it meant to be Eucharist to others. Or in the words of the then Superior General of the
Jesuits, Fr. Pedro Arrupe, - he taught us how to be men [and women] for others…men and
woman who will love not for themselves but for God.
This year Padre Don celebrates his 55th
year as a priest after spending some 30 years at
Scranton. And even now living in the Jesuit retirement community in Maryland at the age of 86,
his modus operandi of ministry hasn’t really changed and if you were to visit him today it would
be mass, food and cards…what an incredibly brilliant way to teach and live the meaning of
Eucharist.
But I think the challenge some of us may have is that we tend to have a myopic view of the
Eucharist – that it is something we can actually earn. But our Jesuit Pope Francis reminds us
that “Eucharist is not a reward for the good, but rather strength for the weak, for the sinner.” It is
not something earned, rather Eucharist is the food and the fuel so that we will never go hungry
or thirsty.
But this requires us to see what is before us with new eyes – and to get out of our own selves.
Another Jesuit, Fr. Greg Boyle, in his recent America Magazine interview reminded us that we
can be like the frightened disciples who were locked in the Upper Room – and that we need to
open the windows, let in new air, unlock the front door and go forth to be Eucharist. But that
action is driven by love...driven by the joy of the gospel. So just imagine the difference if people
started to lead with joy, and stepped away from where they are fearful of?
It becomes clear why the mid-summer changeup in the Gospel readings. Because as we come
forward this morning to receive the Body of Christ, we need to remember that we, too, are also
are the Body of Christ. We need to remember that in the eyes of God, as different and broken
each of us may be God hovers over us…works through us…and dwells within us. We need to
remember that Eucharist is an inclusive sacrament of participation, not an exclusive reward of
meritocracy.
So as you come to this table to receive the real presence of Christ…leave knowing that each of
us are called to be Eucharist – are called to spread the joy of the Gospel – are called to be the
body of Christ to and for each other. And in doing so may we have the eyes to see, the ears to
hear and the mouths to proclaim the Good News of our Lord, Jesus the Christ.