We as Catholics understand the Mass as the non-bloody re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary. Christ, whose innocent blood was unjustly shed 2,000 years ago, is made available for His disciples under the appearance of bread and wine, but in a peaceful, nonviolent way. Cannibals consume the flesh of a dead person in a way that diminishes and profanes the corpse. Through the sacrament of the Eucharist, Jesus freely gives himself to us; and we consume his living body, blood, soul, and divinity in a way that mysteriously and miraculously does not diminish him but instead enhances our spiritual life.In John 6 we encounter various forms of the Greek verb phago, meaning “ to eat”.  However, after the Jews begin to express incredulity at the idea of eating Christ’s flesh, the language begins to intensify. In verse 54, John begins to use trogo instead of phago. Trogo is a decidedly more graphic term, meaning “to chew on” or to “gnaw on”. Let us thank the Lord always for giving of Himself in bread and wine as nourishment for our souls and food for the journey to our heavenly home.