John 6:35, 41-51
35 Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
41 Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ 42 They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’ 43 Jesus answered them, ‘Do not complain among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’
Byzantine mosaic from the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes, near the Sea of Galilee, in Tabgha, Israel.
We continue our meditation on the sign of the multiplication of bread and fish. Today’s gospel reading is considered a doctrinal teaching of Jesus, entrusted to the church throughout the ages. Jesus tried His best to invite the crowd to seek the Bread of Life, not only crumbs of survival.
“St. Peter’s fishes” and authentic “loaves”
Soon after He fed the five thousand, Jesus and His disciples left the site where it happened. The crowd then went looking for Him. When they found Him, they wanted to appoint Him king because they ate the bread that He miraculously provided. They asked Him saying, “Sir, always give us this bread." He knows that need and provides it, but responded that the bread He gives is not that of their ancestors - which they ate on their way to the promised land, that had to be collected each morning before it withered in the day. This bread doesn’t spoil or wither. It comes down from heaven and brings you up to heaven. “This bread is my Body.....I am the bread of life, whoever eats from this bread will live forever” John 6:51a. Jesus continues, “and this bread is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world" John 6:51b.
Jesus was made flesh to restore God's image into humanity after original sin. Through His everlasting presence in the sacrament of the Eucharist, which is His Body, He came to save us in both this this earthly life and in the eternal life to come. Do we accept His gifts but refuse His person that is present and administered in the Eucharist? Do we still believe in eternal life and that we are called to prepare for that life?
Today's gospel invites us to think about our "daily bread,” but much more about our "tomorrow's bread,” the bread of eternal life. We receive tomorrow’s bread through faith in the Eucharist. It sustains us to live a life in Christ that takes us with Him throughout eternity. Our Father knows what we need before we ask (Matthew 6:8). He provides for our earthly needs through the body of Christ, which is the church sharing God’s gifts in love. He would like us to want tomorrow’s bread and to work for it by seeking Christ (Matthew 6:33) and living His commandments. Praying the Our Father, or Lord’s Prayer, the western churches ask for "our the daily bread,” while the orthodox churches still ask for "our substantial bread.” The Coptic Church prays for "Our bread of tomorrow, give us today!"
In the light of this gospel, Let us give ourselves some time to think in depth about the following:
How do we relate to this teaching that God knows our needs even before we ask and provides for them?
Do we trust His words from the Gospel in our daily life?
Are we satisfied with the daily bread we consume or do we look equally for the eternal bread we find in the person of Jesus Christ, who gives us His Body for the life of the world, the whole world?
When we come to partake in the holy communion, let us remember that "The body of Christ is given to us for this life but much more for eternal life!”
May we remain aware of the theological fact that the Body of Christ we receive makes the whole Church One Body! The early church illustrates this doctrinal teaching through the words the priest would say to the faithful before taking communion "Receive what you are and become what you receive.” The faithful answer, “The Body of Christ, Amen!"
-Fr Kamal, August 8, 2021