3rd Week of Easter - Friday - trógó: to gnaw, munch, crunch, tear into flesh

Attending seminary for 8 years, I heard a lot of homilies on the Eucharist. And to be honest, a lot of them sort of blend together. But reflecting on the reading this morning, one homily stands out, partially because of the content of the homily and partially because of the homilist. It was around 2005 or 6, Bishop Michael Murphy, former auxiliary bishop of Cleveland who had served on our seminary faculty here in Cleveland from 1943 to 1976, joined us for weekday mass. It was just a year or two before his death, and he preached on, if I remember correctly, the very passage we heard today. 

It was just the first or second time I had every met Bishop Murphy, and I remember being struck by the old bishop’s passionate love for the Eucharist as he spoke. I could imagine him giving a similar homily to generations of seminarians before me. 

And this is quite rare, I even remember a snippet of the homily: he elaborated on a word in today’s gospel: eat. Sometimes when we find the word “eat” in the new testament, it is a translation of the Greek word “phago”—which means to devour, to consume. In John 6:48-51, yesterday’s passage, the Lord uses the word phago, as in “anyone who eats the bread of life will live forever”, “and the Jews use it in the opening line of today’s Gospel, “how can this man give us his Flesh to eat”. 

The Jew’s were scandalized by this teaching. It was forbidden to consume a human’s flesh and blood. But then, to drive home his point, bishop murphy explained, the Lord switches to an even more scandalous word. When the Lord says, “unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you” he uses an even more severe word for eat. He doesn’t use the word phago, to consume; he uses the word “trogo” the word for an animal ripping into its prey, chewing on, gnawing on flesh. 

Trogo is certainly a much more physical, bodily word. And the Lord choses this word intentionally, wishing to emphasize that his flesh is truly made present, and we truly, really consume, chew on his flesh, when we receive the sacrament of the Eucharist.

As Bishop Murphy shared this kind of gory explanation, I remember his sincerity, his profound faith in what he was saying. This wasn’t just an academic and inconsequential nuance. He believed it and he wanted us to believe it. That so many Catholics have lapsed in their belief in the real presence is kind of baffling.

For this teaching has been uninterrupted for 2000 years, that Truly, the Eucharist is the Flesh and Blood of the Lord. And while the Eucharist appears to our senses as simple bread and wine, our faith tells us that we receive—we consume, we chew on—his very flesh, given to us, that we may have life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Church will deepen in her devotion to the Eucharistic sacrifice which is the source and summit of our Christian life.  Let us pray to the Lord.

That the redemptive power of Christ’s Eucharistic sacrifice will extend to the hearts and minds of all those who govern peoples and nations.  Let us pray to the Lord.

That the Eucharist will be for priests the source of their joy and their deeper configuration to Jesus Christ.  Let us pray to the Lord.

That the goodness of the Lord will be experienced in all marriages, in all business relations, in all daily encounters, and in our friendships.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For those who live in want: that Jesus the Bread of Life will be their sustenance, and that Christians will work for justice and mercy for all those in need.  Let us pray to the Lord.

For all those who have died, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all who have fought and died for our freedom, and for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.