
Archbishop Gordon's Eucharist homilies
July 25, 2021 – 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time
John 6:1-15
In this homily, Archbishop Jason Gordon preaches in detail on the feeding of the multitudes, “a magnificent text” which is central to the Church’s teaching on the Eucharist, “the Source and Summit of Christian life, the heart of the Christian mission”.
He connects this passage with the Old Testament readings from Exodus with Moses, the 23rd Psalm, and The Last Supper in the New Testament. “This bread satisfies the soul of our being…this bread is not ordinary bread.” “What do you believe about the Eucharist?” Archbishop Gordon asks.
August 1, 2021 – 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time
John 6:24-35
Archbishop Jason Gordon continues reflecting on the readings from Mark dealing with the Eucharist, again inviting the viewer to consider what they believe about the Eucharist.
The flesh and bread are what is being given to the people, he says. “The Eucharist has to be a greater sign and significance” than the manna given to the people in the time of Moses, he states. For Catholics contemplating the Eucharist, the thought of who Jesus is, should configure the way how they live their lives.
August 8, 2021 – 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time
John 6:41–51
How often do we see the Eucharist the way the people of Jesus time saw it, and the way the Israelites in the desert saw it? Archbishop Gordon challenges viewers and listeners to believe, and persons struggling with the doctrine on the Eucharist, he encourages them to ask God to help them to believe. The doctrine “has a high price” because of the literal translation of the scripture, which he links with communion with God, and eternal life.
August 22, 2021 – 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time
John 6:60–69
This is the culmination of the Bread of Life discourse. The gospel is a turning point for Jesus, Archbishop Gordon says, leaving the doctrine on the Eucharist for His disciples to choose. The teaching is not metaphorical but literal.
Referring to Peter’s response to Jesus in the Gospel, he says the Church teaches doctrines that some do not understand, and people need to start where Peter starts. “We have to start by believing that Jesus who he says he is.” The Archbishop also offers a teaching on the transubstantiation and describes the consecration at the altar as “the greatest miracle of all time”. “Let us pray that we come to believe.”