The “Bread Of Life” Discourse Continues

     These past several weeks, we’ve been hearing from the readings that God is our ultimate provider, the provider of food and provider of our very life. In the first readings, we’ve been hearing Old Testament stories of God providing for the physical nourishment for his people in times of need. Two weeks ago, we heard of the Prophet Elisha feeding a large number of people with just a few barley loaves. In last week’s first reading we heard the story of the quail and the manna from heaven being sent down to the Israelites in their time of need in the desert. Now in today’s first reading we hear of Elijah, who has fallen into self-pity and given up, wishing for death. But God, who isn’t finished with him yet feeds him with a hearth cake & a jug of water. Nourishment from God that sustains him for a journey lasting 40 days & 40 nights.

     In the Gospel readings from the past few weeks, from the Gospel of John, we’ve been hearing what’s called “The Bread of Life Discourse”, where Christ goes beyond our physical nourishment, to our spiritual nourishment. Christ tells us he is the “new manna from heaven”. “I Am The Bread Of Life”.  We hear this several times in the past few Gospel readings. Enough that it should make us realize and think about the importance of those words. “I Am The Living Bread That Came Down From Heaven. He Whoever Eats This Bread Will Live Forever; and the Bread That I Will Give Is My Flesh For The Life Of The World”.  These words from Christ are clear, simple & forceful. They introduce to us the theology of the Eucharist, which then comes to fulfillment at the Last Supper, but these words from Christ tell us that the Eucharist and the Word of God are both “The Word of Life”. God reveals himself through the Word, and the sacrament of the Eucharist, and we mustn’t separate the two.

     In today’s Gospel we hear that the Jews had a hard time accepting these words from Christ. “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his mother & father?” It’s not hard to understand why they couldn’t understand his words, having seen him grow up from a little child, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” And here two thousand years later many still do have a hard time understanding? We are warned not to hunger for food that perishes. As we grow to adulthood, our hunger for more life seems without limit. We desire good food & drink, wealth, knowledge, social status.  At times we may even eat from the tree of forbidden fruit with the desire and illusion of a human life without limits. But these things only leave us hungrier & thirstier and don’t really satisfy. They’re like a sugar high that gives us a jolt, but then leaves us feeling worse off in the end. They can never sustain us like the true “Manna from Heaven”.  

          What the Jews didn’t realize was that it wasn’t a question of knowledge, but of belief, of faith.  Jesus asks that they go a step further and listen to the Father who sent him.  If they can take that step, they will discover so much more about him and gain so many more spiritual advantages, “Whoever believes in me will have eternal life.”  And what does it mean, to say that one who believes has eternal life?  To have eternal life means to share in the self-giving love of the Father and Jesus.  “God is love – we love because he first loved us.” And God wants us to share in that eternal love.

          But Jesus has something else in mind too.  Just as he, the Bread of Life, offered himself for the life of the world, so are we called to do the same.  We are called to sacrifice ourselves sometimes in big ways, sometimes in small ways.  But the Eucharist challenges us to become their food, so they may share in that eternal love also.

          When we come forward to receive communion, we hear, “The Body of Christ.” And our response?  “Amen.” So be it.

          Our “Amen” doesn’t just mean that we believe Christ is present in the consecrated bread.  It means we believe it is Christ’s Body of Christ. 

          Just like in today’s Gospel, when the Jews couldn’t recognize Jesus; we too might look just like ordinary people, but when we’re fed with the Body of Christ, we become more than what we appear.

          When we come forward in a few minutes and say, “Amen,” we will be nourished by that food that endures to eternal life.  We will be given strength for that journey, because we become, “The Body of Christ.”