he was the new bread, bread very superior to
manna, and on which mankind was to live. This idea, the germ of the
Eucharist, was at times expressed by him in singularly concrete forms.
On one occasion especially, in the synagogue of Capernaum, he took a
decided step, which cost him several of his disciples. "Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but
my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven."[1] And he added, "I
am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he
that believeth on me shall never thirst."[2] These words excited much
murmuring. "The Jews then murmured at him because he said, I am the
bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus
the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then
that he saith, I came down from heaven?" But Jesus insisting with
still more force, said, "I am that bread of life; your fathers did eat
manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which cometh
down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the
living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this
bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my
flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."[3] The offence
was now at its height: "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
Jesus going still further, said: "Verily, verily, I say unto you,
except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye
have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath
eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is
meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and
drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father
has sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he
shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not
as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this
bread shall live for ever." Several of his disciples were offended at
such obstinacy in paradox, and ceased to follow him. Jesus did not
retract; he only added: "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh
profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit,
and they are life." The twelve remained faithful, notwithstanding this
strange preaching. It gave to Cephas, in particular, an opportunity of
showing his absolute devotion, and of proclaiming once more, "Thou art
that Chris