He everywhere mentions life and frequently brings up this name, because nothing is so pleasant to people as life.
However, you can eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of the Master not only in the Mystical Communion, but also in another way. He who walks the path of active life eats the Flesh. For flesh is hard to digest, just as the active life is full of toil. He who contemplates drinks the Blood as wine that gladdens the heart. For contemplation is not bound up with toil; it is even a rest from toils, and is like drinking, just as drinking is easier than eating.
Jn. 6:59. He said these things in the synagogue, teaching in Capernaum.
Why did He teach in the synagogue? Partly in order to attract more people, partly in order to show that He is not an opponent of the law read in the synagogues.
Jn. 6:60. Many of His disciples, hearing this, said: what strange words! Who can listen to this?
Why then did He deliver such speeches before the people, when He knew that no one would benefit from them, and many would even be scandalized? For His disciples, having heard them, said: "These words are strange; who can listen to this?"
What is the benefit of these words? Very great and important. They constantly mentioned bodily food and pointed to the manna. Showing them that all this was figures and shadow, while what He now speaks is the truth. He says this and mentions spiritual food in order to persuade them to turn away somewhat from the sensible and leave the figures and shadow, and to hasten toward the truth. But they, being unable to understand anything supernatural, are not improved, but even turn away and say: "These words are strange, that is, harsh, hard to accept." For who, being carnal, can receive spiritual food — bread descending from heaven, flesh that is eaten?
When you hear that the disciples fell away from Him, do not understand this of the true disciples, but of those who followed Him in the rank of disciples and only in appearance showed that they were learning from Him. For even among the disciples there were some who, in comparison with the crowd, were called His disciples because they spent more time with Him than the crowd, but in comparison with His true disciples they were worth nothing, since they believed in Him only for a time and, so to speak, with a cold fervor. See what foolishness. They should have asked and learned what they did not know, but instead they fall away and understand nothing in the spiritual sense, but take everything outwardly. Hearing about flesh, they thought that He was compelling them to become flesh-eaters and blood-drinkers. But we, who understand this in the spiritual sense, are not only not flesh-eaters, but are even illumined by such food.
Jn. 6:61. But Jesus, knowing in Himself that His disciples were murmuring about this, said to them: Does this offend you?
Wishing to show them that from Him as God the thoughts of their hearts are in no way hidden, He says: "Does this offend you?"
Jn. 6:62. What then, if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?
What then, if you see Me, in the appearance of the Son of Man, ascending into heaven, where I was before as God? For One and the Same ascends as Man to where He was before as God. He said this in order to draw them away from the opinion of Him as the son of Joseph. For whoever believed that He was formerly in heaven would undoubtedly also believe that He is the Son not of Joseph, but of God, and would ultimately believe His words as well.
Hearing that the Son of Man was formerly in heaven, do not think that the body descended from heaven (so the heresiarchs Marcellus and Apollinarius idly talk), but since one and the same was the Son of Man and God the Word, then, as we have said, it is said that He ascends as Man to where He was formerly as God.
Jn. 6:63. The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and life.
They understood Christ's words in a carnal manner, as we have often said, and were scandalized. Therefore He says that only the spiritual understanding of My words is profitable, while the flesh, that is, the carnal understanding of them, is not at all profitable, but becomes an occasion for scandal. Thus they were scandalized, understanding Christ's words carnally. He adds that the words which I speak are "spirit," that is, spiritual, "and life," having nothing carnal in them, but bestowing eternal life.
Jn. 6:64. But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who the unbelieving were, and who would betray Him.
Manifesting a property of divinity, namely revealing what is hidden, He tells them that some of you do not believe; by saying "some," He excluded the disciples. And the evangelist, wishing to show us that He knew all things before the foundation of the world, says that Jesus knew from the beginning who the unbelievers were, and knew also the malice of the betrayer. And this was proof of true Divinity. For the prophet says of God: "who knows all things before their coming to be" (Dan. 13:42).
Jn. 6:65. And He said: this is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is given to him by My Father.
We have often said that when you hear that the Father gives faith in the Son, do not think that the Father bestows grace on some and not on others, as if by lot, for this would be characteristic of one who is unjust. Rather, understand it this way: the Father bestows grace and gives the gift of faith to those who have the will for it. For he who has no will shall not benefit even from the help of God. Let me explain. God gives His gifts to all. Some receive them and make good use of what is given, and by preserving it, they display the gift of God. But others receive yet lose what was given, and turn out to have received nothing. So when the Evangelist says that he to whom it has not been given by the Father cannot come to the Son, his words mean that he comes to the Son to whom the Father gives and who preserves the gift bestowed on him by God.
Jn. 6:66. From that time many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him.
"Many of the disciples went back"; that is, having separated from Him, they did not go toward something better, but returned back, that is, to unbelief. For truly, whoever separates from Christ goes back, while whoever, like Paul, "is joined unto the Lord" (1 Cor. 6:17), constantly "reaches forth" (Phil. 3:13).
Jn. 6:67. Then Jesus said to the twelve: Do you not also want to go away?
But He, showing that He has no need of anyone nor of any service or care from them, says to them: "Do you also want to go away?" Why, on the contrary, did He not praise the twelve disciples for not having departed along with the rest? On the one hand, to preserve the dignity of the Teacher, and on the other, to show us as well that in this way one can attract even more. For if He had praised them, they might perhaps have experienced something human and become proud, thinking that by following Him they were doing Him a favor. But by showing that He had no need of their following Him, He was better able to retain them as those who were more benefited than benefiting, and receiving grace rather than giving it.
Note how wisely He expressed Himself. He did not say "go away," for that would mean pushing them away, but He asks "do you not wish to go away?" In this way He grants complete freedom to follow or not, showing that He wants them to follow Him not out of shame before Him, but from the awareness that they will receive grace for following.
Jn. 6:68. Simon Peter answered Him: Lord! To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.