JESUS THE BREAD OF LIFE
First Reading: Exodus 16: 2-4 and 12-15
Second Reading: Ephesians 6: 17 and 20-24
Gospel Reading: John 6: 24-35
*First reading is from the book of Exodus. On their journey to the promised land, the Jewish people have much struggles through the desert for forty years. When hungry, they bitterly complain and murmur against Moses and the Lord God who liberated them from the slavery of Egypt. The Lord God listens to their complaints and provides them with manna (bread) and quails for their food. Moses tells them that the Lord God is providing them manna (bread). Thus manna becomes the pre-figuration of the living bread (Eucharist) that Jesus gives us for our eternal life.
*Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Ephesians. Paul urges the Christian community at Ephesus to leave their former nature and former sinful way of life which was corrupt and deceitful. He pleads with them to accept the new way of life in the likeness of God, which is righteousness and holiness.
Believe in Him, whom God has sent Today's Gospel reading is from St. John. After Jesus multiplies the loaves and feeds the five thousand, people are very excited and happy with Jesus. They feel that He is a permanent solution to their problems, especially hunger. They are in search of Him. Jesus is not very amused by this situation. He bluntly tells them that they are merely looking for signs and perishable food. After feeding the people with ordinary bread, Jesus offers them something far better: "The bread of eternal life." He takes this opportunity to teach them about the imperishable and life-giving food that will lead them to eternal life. To obtain this eternal life, they have to believe in the one sent by God. After His discourse on eternal life, people ask for a sign from Jesus: Like what Moses did when he gave them food (manna) from heaven. At this juncture, Jesus finally reveals Himself by telling them: "I am the bread of life, he who comes to me shall not hunger and he who believes in me will never thirst" (John 6:35). Often, we too are like the Jews of that time. We too look for various signs and immediate benefits rather than lasting solutions: Short-term happiness, without genuinely looking for lasting and permanent solutions to our problems in life. The great Russian writer Solzhenitsyn puts it this way: "People don't know what they are striving for. They exhaust themselves in the senseless pursuit of material things and die without realizing their spiritual greatness." In this context, Fr. F. McCarthy says: "It is in our emptiness that we are filled. It is in our confusions that we are guided. It is in our weakness that we are strengthened. It is in our sins that we are forgiven. It is in our hunger that we are fed." Jesus said: "Blessed are the hungry, for they shall get their fill." Lord, we turn to you for that food which endures to eternal life which you alone can provide us, as we journey through this life. May the good and loving Lord bless you all and fill you with the food that lasts forever. Amen.
(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph" on Google search. Thanks.)
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