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Pange Lingua—Proclaim, O Tongue - Sunday, June 7, 2026

Jesus said to the Jewish 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?” John 6:51–52 It must have been shocking to Jesus’ listeners the first time He boldly proclaimed that He would give His flesh as spiritual food. Their reaction makes this clear: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus did not back down or soften what He had just proclaimed. Instead, He began a lengthy and direct discourse, starting with these words: “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.” (John 6:53–56) What would you have thought had you been among the first hearers? We’re told the people quarreled, indicating division. Some, we later read, murmured among themselves, saying: “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” And tragically, many of Jesus’ disciples left Him and returned to their former way of life (cf. John 6:60–66). Despite this apparent failure and loss of disciples, Jesus did not retract or revise His teaching. Instead, He turned to the Twelve and asked if they too wished to leave. Peter, with clarity and faith, responded with one of the most profound statements of discipleship in all of Scripture: “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God” (cf. John 6:67–69). In many ways, Peter’s words are as important for us today as Jesus’ own words introducing the Eucharist. Why? Because Peter shows us how to respond when we encounter divine mysteries beyond human understanding. The Eucharist is one of the most central of these mysteries. Do you believe in the Eucharist? Do you believe that it is truly the flesh and blood of the Son of God—His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity? Though many of us have learned this teaching from childhood and accept it on some level, few penetrate the depth of the mystery we behold at every Mass. Saint John Vianney spoke beautifully of the Eucharist, revealing his profound reverence for this Gift: “If we really understood the Mass, we would die for joy.” And: “There is nothing so great as the Eucharist. If God had something more precious, He would have given it to us.” He also said: “How beautiful it is! After the Consecration, the good God is there as He is in Heaven.” It’s easy to approach the Holy Mass out of routine rather than with the depth of faith possessed by the saints. But that must be our goal. We must believe that we would truly “die of joy” if we understood the Mass. Reflect today on Jesus’ unwavering clarity: “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.” Believe what He says. The Eucharist is not a symbol; it is the greatest Divine Mystery on earth. In the Eucharist, we kneel before God and consume Him—so that we may become what we eat: the Mystical Body of Christ. Let us close by praying the opening verses of a hymn Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote at the request of Pope Urban IV for the newly instituted Feast of Corpus Christi in 1264—the Pange Lingua, meaning, “Proclaim, O Tongue.” Down in adoration falling, Lo! the sacred Host we hail; Lo! o’er ancient forms departing, Newer rites of grace prevail; Faith for all defects supplying, Where the feeble senses fail. To the everlasting Father, And the Son who reigns on high, With the Holy Ghost proceeding Forth from each eternally, Be salvation, honor, blessing, Might, and endless majesty. Amen. _______________________________________________ For more videos and reflections visit - https://mycatholic.life *CHAPTERS* 0:00 Beginning 0:22 Scripture Quote 0:52 Daily Reflection 5:18 Final Meditation 6:22 Closing Prayer Subscribe to My Catholic Life! - https://www.youtube.com/c/MyCatholicLifeJMJ?sub_confirmation=1 Try Our Brand New App - https://mycatholic.life/apps _______________________________________________ *Our Social Media* Facebook - https://facebook.com/catholic.daily.reflections Twitter - https://twitter.com/CathDailyRef Pinterest - https://pinterest.com/mycatholic Tumblr - https://catholicdailyreflections.tumblr.com Reddit - https://reddit.com/user/Catholic_Daily Instagram - https://instagram.com/catholicdailyreflections MeWe - https://mewe.com/p/catholicdailyreflections Gab - https://gab.com/CatholicDailyReflections ________________________________________________ #CatholicChurch #CatholicFaith #CatholicLife Image - https://stock.adobe.com/images/caravaggio-italy-24-8-2016-mosaic-the-last-supper/195229289?prev_url=detail