Eating and Drinking True Food for Life

by Deacon Lorna Goodison on August 12, 2021

Did you notice? For four consecutive Sundays, the prescribed gospel readings have been from the sixth chapter of John! It began on Sunday, July 25, when we read about the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:1-21). Jesus, in John’s gospel, uses bread, a basic food staple, and the ordinary human acts of feeding and eating as the basis of profound spiritual teachings.  

In this Sunday’s reading (John 6:51-58), Jesus states, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” Jesus makes very specific claims. He is of heavenly origin. His identity is Bread of life. Because He himself is the living bread that came down from heaven, it is necessary to eat His flesh and drink His blood to receive the promise of true everlasting life and be raised up on the last day. To not eat and drink His flesh and blood is to have no life.

 On the cross, Jesus’ body was broken, and His blood spilled. Jesus gave Himself totally, sacrificially for the life of the world. Flesh and blood, eating and drinking point us to the Church’s celebration of the Holy Eucharist in which we are welcomed to partake of His Body, His blood in the earthly form of bread and wine. And as we partake, we acknowledge that we are embraced in a lofty spiritual mystery that is beyond our comprehension. However, by faith, we believe that in the Eucharist Jesus gives Himself to us in a spiritually profound way. When we take the bread and wine into our being, we are taking Christ into our being in an intimate way. He enters and abides in us and we in Him. His body and blood renew us, nourish our faith, forgive our sins, empower us to live for Him in this world, and uplift our beings to live with Him eternally.

Next Sunday is the end of our five-week hiatus with John 6. May we consider spiritually the bread, the wine, eating, and drinking, that we may come to believe and know that Jesus is indeed the heavenly bread that fills us with divine presence today and always. Thanks be to God! 

Tags: faith, sacrifice, blood, flesh, bread of life, nourish, living bread, holy eucharist

About the Author
Deacon Lorna Goodison

Reverend Lorna Goodison was ordained to the Diaconate on April 29, 2007. After discerning a call to ordained ministry, Deacon Lorna completed a process of spiritual discernment and pursued three years of study at the Diocesan School for Christian Studies. She also completed three units of hospice care training through Vitas and for a short while she was a volunteer Chaplain. Highlights of her continuing education activities include a guided visit to Israel and attending the Festival of Homiletics in Boulder, Colorado.

Soon after her ordination, Deacon Lorna was called to serve as Deacon at St. Mary Magdalene. She initiated an outreach ministry to the homeless at St. Laurence Chapel, obtaining the support and involvement of most members of the congregation. This ministry remained a vibrant outreach of the Church until the Chapel closed in 2019.  Other outreach ministries formed include an informal group of members who stay in touch with members who are ill and shut-in. Deacon Lorna remains committed to both the in-reach and outreach ministries of the Church. She has led quiet day reflections for groups within and outside of St. Mary Magdalene. She has often led Deacon’s Masses at small churches without a priest. Of all the ministries in which Deacon Lorna participates, she is most humbled and grateful to be involved in the ministry of praying with congregants facing life’s challenges.

Deacon Lorna serves the Diocese of Southeast Florida as a member of the Disciplinary Committee. She also serves on the Board of Deacons.   

Professionally, Deacon Lorna worked for some years in Human Resource Departments as a Training Manager, but most of her working years were spent in Social Work. She worked with at-risk teenagers counselling them and guiding them to resources to build a meaningful future. The last twenty years of her profession, were spent working with Seniors, guiding them to the resources needed to maintain their safety and independence. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a master’s degree in Adult Education. She is now retired, cherishes some alone time for prayer and reflection, but divides her time between the Church and her family which consists of two daughters, their husbands and three grandchildren.

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