Throughout the course of my life, most people came to know me via work in  technology and science, e.g., nuclear power, information technology, and the list goes on. And it’s true I know (…or used to know) those things, but even at an early age there was always a part of me that leaned into mystery.

The first mystery I remember was the magic of airplanes. I mean…. How in the world could something that heavy fly? At one point in my life, it was all explained by the “fact” that guardian angels held up the wings to safely carry their charges to their destinations.  Eventually I learned about wing shapes creating pressure differentials and lift. Mystery’s realm was encroached upon by knowledge and understanding. I still think guardian angels are there, supplementing lift forces, keeping airplanes flying. Just saying…

You know what else is a mystery? Love. Why do you love the ones that you love? Out of all the possibilities in the world, why do we choose this particular person to be in love with, to pledge our life to them, and to journey through the days and nights, the joys and sorrows, and the cauldron that is called life. If you search online there are scientific explanations that reduce it all to biology, genetic imperatives, cognitive reactions, and yada, yada, yada. It seems that slowly knowledge and technology are considered characteristics that are desirable and worthy of praise. The mystery of wisdom, love, and more are consigned to the province of wistful hearts and weak minds.

This Sunday when we hear: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”  Clearly something of mystery, wisdom, love, promise, hope and so much more.

There are times I feel as though I live suspended between the Catholics who want me to explain the philosophy and knowledge of Eucharistic transubstantiation and a conversation I once had with a young evangelical whose mission that day was to convince this Catholic priest that I just did not understand the Gospel of John; that I lacked the knowledge of Greek, parallelisms in John’s gospel, a too literal understanding of all the “I am…” statements.

He understood lots of things – and he was correct in his final assertion that belief in Jesus was the gateway to salvation; to that I said “Amen.”  I wonder if he silently thought, “Alleluia, I have just convinced a Catholic priest that these readings were about belief and not about Eucharist?” Hardly.

I could have replied with even more technical arguments that he had given. And used them to show that John’s Gospel proclaims both the Word and Eucharist, together, as God’s gift in and through Christ. But at some point in this life’s journey, I came to realize that we all reach a crossroads. There is a fundamental choice to make on the road of faith. Will you insist on “understanding and explanation” or are you willing to let go and enter the mystery.

The mystery of Jesus feeding 5,000 people. The mystery when he promised that this food would always be available to all who believe.  The mystery, that in the middle of a Passover ritual, when there are no words, Jesus spoke the words, “This is my body”, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood” (Lk 22:20).

All part of the fundamental mystery of salvation that began with the promise to Abraham, Moses and all the prophets. The mystery that came to flesh in the Incarnation of Jesus, son of God and son of Mary. The mystery that would be played out at the Last Supper and continue through to his being lifted up on the Cross. And that the enduring sign of the love of God, that in this Eucharist, we are in an eternal moment where past, present and future are here, now. Where we in our time are mystically joined to the generations of believers past and to come, we are joined to the choirs of angels, and give witness to Jesus’ words: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” It is pure mystery.

Some would say that we Catholics are foolish to hear the words of Jesus in this gospel and come to our understanding of Eucharist.  Well I would simply say that we do not come to an understanding; we come to the mystery; to the core of the mystery: love.  God “so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16). And that eternal life certainly begins in the belief of Jesus as Lord and Savior. That journey of faith is nourished and graced along the way: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.”  (Jn 6:40)

Eucharist, resurrection, eternal life. All this is just as much a mystery as God’s love for us. If as Catholic Christians we only seek “understanding and explanation”, we will be disappointed. But if we come to kneel in worship before the mystery of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit – then the riches of God’s love can overwhelm us.

There was a time when I would have entered the debate with that young man, now I just invite people into the mystery of God’s love. Into God’s embrace; into the great silence where no words are needed, where love, that mystery of mystery is experienced, more fully, more completely than we can ever imagine. You were created in love, endure in love, and are called to grow more completely, more fully in love

Today in this Eucharist, again you enter into the mystery of love, a life given for the salvation of the world.  Receive love, become love. Then we mysteriously will be a Eucharistic people

Amen