The Gospel according to John (6:35-40)
Jesus said to the crowds,
“I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
But I told you that although you have seen me,
you do not believe.
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day.”
Reflection: Today, in the Gospel, we find ourselves in the middle of the discussion Jesus is having, with a crowd of people who have followed Him across the sea. And the passage might be a familiar one to you and me, at least the opening verse; “Jesus said to the crowds, “I am the bread of life…” The conversation that Jesus was having with this crowd had centered, so far, on the image of the bread.
But for the crowd, it’s been the physical, life-giving sustenance, that they’ve been most interested in. Jesus, on the other hand, has been using their hunger, in order to lead them into a deeper understanding of who He is. Jesus wants them to know Him as the bread of life; that He is the One Who gives and nourishes and sustains all things.
What this means is that those who eat of the Bread of Life will live because He lives in them, and He nourishes them. Two senses are given: The first one is a picture of remaining united, and the second is a picture of Jesus being the source of life. Like a root and the branches, so is the bread of life and those who partake of the bread of life. Those who partake, will live life forevermore. Though they may die, still they will live. No one else can say that, but one who has died to self, and now lives unto Jesus Christ. Our life is hidden in Jesus Christ.
The experience of the people, of the world today, is that they eat and eat, but they are never satisfied. They eat of the things that they think will fill them, but they will not be satisfied; they seek happiness, but they will not find it. For a time, they might be relatively content, but it will fade away. Saint Augustine once said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O Lord.”
There are many things in this life which promise nourishment. For example, a bag of candy bars in the hands of a child. Their belly may become full, but the child will not be nourished. Even though children love the taste of a candy bar, they will long for real nourishment, like meat and potatoes. The world has many things that promise happiness, but there is only one source of true joy, and that comes from feeding on the Bread of Life.
The table is prepared. Won’t you come?
Action For The Day: Pray, so that each time you receive the Eucharist, you will continue to hunger for more, of the One, who you are receiving. That He feeds you until you want to no more, and that the Bread of life that Jesus feeds you, sustains you both, now and in the life to come.
Audio Reflection:
