Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle B 2009
August 16th 2009
Dear All,
This week’s readings invite to two banquets. The
first comes from the Wisdom tradition of ancient
Israel in the First Reading from Proverbs. The
proverbs are attributed to Solomon (son of David,
reigned 971-931 BCE) author of ‘three thousand
proverbs’. It is rooted in a classic form of Egyptian
wisdom literature. Wisdom, personified as a woman,
spreads out a sumptuous banquet inviting “whoever is
simple…. who lacks understanding”. To me this
means, ‘don’t overcomplicate it’, ‘the less you know
the more you are welcomed’ to this meal of dressed
meat and mixed wine, which are insight and
understanding. ‘Lady Wisdom’ seeks those who are
not wise so she can offer the riches of wisdom that
she possesses.
The second banquet is an invitation from Jesus to
the bread which is clearly Eucharistic. Chapter 6 of
the Gospel according to John, from which we read
during these five weeks, is about sustenance. It is
about eating. It is about nourishment. The Eucharist
is not about eating like we normally eat. Normally,
when we eat, we assimilate the food. Our body
breaks down the food, takes the nutrients it needs,
and feeds our cell system. In a sense, the food
becomes part of us. Eating is about what we do with
the food. We assimilate the food. But that is not
what happens when we receive the Eucharist. When
we receive the Eucharist, we don’t assimilate the
food, the Food sort of assimilates us. Jesus
transforms us. Instead of the food taking on our life,
we take on the life of the Lord. We read in this week’s
© Rainer Zinn - 2009 http://myjourneyoflifeandfaith.blogspot.com/
Gospel: “Just as the living Father sent me and I have
life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds
on me will have life because of me.” To us this
means to follow Jesus with the reward of eternity
(=”life forever” in a spiritual sense).
The wisdom theme is also found in the Second
Reading, where the Ephesians and we are warned
against foolish living. The admonition is startling:
“because the days are evil”. Some of the evils we are
warned about in this letter are still with us like
drunkenness and corruption, dishonesty
(=”debauchery”). Other forms of evil, like arrogance
that presumes that our point of view is the only
legitimate one, may it be in matters of religion or
culture or political partisanship; corporate greed;
glorification of violence; etc. would get Paul going to
say “the days are evil”.
Despite the invitation to all to be enriched at the
Woman’s Wisdom’s table and to be transformed by
the body and blood of Christ, we often procrastinate
and choose to stay comfortable in the lives we have
fashioned for ourselves and shy away from reform or
renewal. Yet we are all kindly invited to … the
banquet that leads to life forever.
The complete text of the readings at
http://scriptures-my-journey-oflife-
andfaith.blogspot.com/2009/08/twentieth-sunday-in-
ordinary-time.html
With God’s Love and Blessings,
Rainer
1
 First Reading from Proverbs
Prv 9:1-6
Wisdom has built her house, she
has set up her seven columns;
she has dressed her meat,
mixed her wine, yes, she has
spread her table.
She has sent out her maidens;
she calls from the heights out
over the city:
“Let whoever is simple turn in
here; To the one who lacks
understanding, she says,
Come, eat of my food, and
drink of the wine I have mixed!
Forsake foolishness that you
may live; advance in the way of
understanding.”
© Rainer Zinn - 2009
Letter to the Ephisians
Eph 5:15-20
Brothers and sisters: Watch
carefully how you live, not as
foolish persons but as wise,
making the most of the
opportunity, because the days are
evil. Therefore, do not continue in
ignorance, but try to understand
what is the will of the Lord. And
do not get drunk on wine, in
which lies debauchery, but be
filled with the Spirit, addressing
one another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing and
playing to the Lord in your hearts,
giving thanks always and for
everything in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ to God the
Father.
http://myjourneyoflifeandfaith.blogspot.com/
Gospel according to John
Jn 6:51-58
Jesus said to the crowds: “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.”
The Jews quarreled among
themselves, saying, “How can
this man give us his flesh to
eat?” Jesus said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the
Son of Man and drink his blood,
you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my flesh and
drinks my blood has eternal
life, and I will raise him on the
last day. For my flesh is true
food, and my blood is true
drink. Whoever eats my flesh
and drinks my blood remains in
me and I in him. Just as the
living Father sent me and I
have life because of the Father,
so also the one who feeds on
me will have life because of
me. This is the bread that
came down from heaven.
Unlike your ancestors who ate
and still died, whoever eats this
bread will live forever.”
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