7 June 2026 – Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ
Deut 8:2–16; 1 Cor 10:16–17; Jn 6:51–58
Homily
The Gospel passage we have just read is the conclusion of Jesus’ long discourse on the Bread of Life, found in chapter 6 of John’s Gospel. At the beginning of this chapter, John had recounted the feeding of the five thousand, after which the disciples had set off by boat for the town of Capernaum and Jesus, fleeing the crowds who wanted to make Him king, had gone up into the mountains to pray, before rejoining His disciples. The next day, as the crowds were once again chasing after Him, He addressed them with this long discourse on the Bread of Life, the conclusion of which we have just read. In fact, the following verse should have been included, which was not retained in our liturgical lectionary, but which is very important for understanding the text as a whole. Here is that final verse: “Such were the teachings of Jesus in the synagogue at Capernaum.”