I want to take you back to a scene in the Hebrew scriptures when Moses is out in the desert. And from a distance he sees a bush burning and he approaches the bush. And a voice from the bush tells him that this is holy ground, to take off your sandals. And Moses asks, “who are you?” And the response, the voice from the burning bush says, 

“I am who am.” I am who am.  

We hear that phrase throughout John’s Gospel. “I am.” God says, “I am.” And Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. I am the vine, you are the branches. I am the sheep gate. I am the bread of life that comes down from heaven.” Jesus identifies himself with the “I am” of God, and it’s found 13 times in John’s Gospel. So ways in which Jesus identifies who Jesus is and the intimate relationship that he has with God, the father. “Who are you? I am who am.” And Jesus in the gospel just says, “I am the bread of life that comes down from heaven. And whoever eats of my flesh and drinks of my blood will have life forever.” That beautiful promise of Christ. 

St. Augustine says this so beautifully. He says about, “I am the bread of life that comes down from heaven, and Christ is awaiting the hunger.” Let me say that again. Christ is awaiting the hunger. Christ is awaiting us to come and to feed and to be nourished. And then to become what we behold, what we consume we are to become. 

At mass we’ll see in a couple of moments, behold the lamb of God, behold the bread of life. You, me, we are to become what we behold. We are to become Christ for others. And to do as he did, to go out and to feed and to take care of and to announce the good news of the kingdom here and now. We’re in a eucharistic revival right now in our church. 

It’s a wonderful time. It’s a wonderful time to reintroduce and recommit ourselves to the love that we have for Christ, for the eucharist that we receive from Christ, to do the work of Christ in this world of ours.