BREAD OF LIFE
Bread
is a very common substance found all over the world. In some countries,
it is the staple diet of the people. In some countries, people need
bread to survive. In the Old Law, bread was seen as the Law of God, the
Torah. Jesus was born at Bethlehem, the House of Bread, and it is very
interesting that He would use bread to signify His body given up for the
world. We are nourished by the bread that becomes His Body at the
celebration of the Holy Eucharist. When we eat normal bread, we will
always remain hungry. The bread that Jesus gives satisfies us and we
will hunger no more. In the Gospel Jesus tells His followers that the
bread that He will give is for the life of
the world.
A
similar account is noticed in the story of the Samaritan woman who
seeks water from the well (John 4:1-41). When Jesus tells her that He
can give water welling up, she earnestly asks for that water. In the
same way, the Gospel today has the followers earnestly seeking the bread
that will give life.
All
of us hunger and thirst for life. We all need security, identity and
meaning. Sometimes we seek this fulfillment in substances, relationships
and anything that can lead to addiction. Jesus tells us clearly in the
Gospel today that all who come to Him will never hunger or thirst:
“Sir,” we cry out, “give us that bread always!”
The
Church celebrates the Easter tide, the season of the year that focuses
on the Resurrection of Jesus, which finds its culmination in Pentecost a
few weeks from now. Jesus is the Risen Christ whom we encounter in the
Eucharist. His risen power is at work in our lives, sustaining us and
forming us as a people set apart for Him. What we lack in life, Jesus
wants to fulfil and sustain. His Bread is our hope and sustenance.
Perhaps we need to repent of those times when we tend to lean on other
things that, in the end, would not sustain us or give us real happiness.
Fr. Brian Steele,
MGL
REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you hunger for love, healing, mercy or comfort? Ask Jesus to sustain you with the presence He offers you in the Eucharist.
Lord Jesus, I thank You for the Bread You give me in the Eucharist. Nourish me always with Your Body and Blood. Amen.
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