Jesus, the Bread of Life
Brethren, from the first reading, we see that God can use any one of us for his glory and for the proclamation of the Gospel, despite our sinful past and unfaithfulness to the covenant. Obviously, every saint has a past, and every sinner has the future. Saint Paul who was the chief persecutor of the church is now made an instrument of God to carry his name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel. God even promised that he will show him what he will have to suffer for His (God) name. We too can be like St Paul, let us always be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in us, who invites us daily to be witnesses to the Gospel through our life, words and deeds.
In today's Gospel, Jesus offers himself as "food and drink." The Jews were scandalized, and the disciples were divided when Jesus said, "unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you." What a hard saying, unless you understand who Jesus is and why he calls himself the bread of life. The Jews began to quarrel. Jesus knew this concept was very difficult, virtually impossible, for them to wrap their minds around because not only was it philosophically challenging to first-century Jews, but it was also utterly disgusting. Their laws were clear. They were forbidden to eat blood, for the blood is life, and they shall not eat the life with the meat (Deuteronomy 12:23).
Yet, Jesus added the word “unless” and turned their hearts to the true purpose of living. St. Thomas Aquinas said that, although in all of the sacraments the power of Christ is present, in the Eucharist Christ himself is present. The centrality of the Eucharist is paramount, the hinge upon which our life and the life of the Church turn. What a great gift and profound mystery the Eucharist is. Seeing is not always believing. We must first exercise the great gift of our faith in order to see.
Jesus is truly the bread of life. The life Jesus means here is something more than mere physical existence. The life Jesus refers to is connected with God, the author of life. Real life is a relationship with the living God, a relationship of trust, love, obedience, peace, and joy. This is what Jesus makes possible for us - a loving relationship with God who created us for love with him. Apart from Jesus no one can enter that kind of life and relationship. Are you satisfied with mere physical existence, or do you hunger for the abundant life which Jesus offers?
This bread sustains us not only on our journey to eternal life but also gives us the abundant supernatural life of God which sustains us both now in this life and for all eternity. Jesus gave us the bread and drink for eternal life as the Eucharist and when we receive from the Lord's table, we unite ourselves to Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood and partakers of his divine life. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.) calls it the "one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live forever in Jesus Christ" (Ad Eph. 20,2). This supernatural food is healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey to eternal life.
Therefore Brethren, let our hunger of Jesus Christ, the bread of life, surpass our hunger and thirst for physical food and drinks which we have every day. Without this bread of life, we limp in our spiritual life and there is a high possibility of losing eternal life. We therefore have to do everything possible to attain this bread and pray that the Spirit will make our way towards attaining that bread very clear for us.
Let us reflect today on the reality of the bread that Jesus gives, which is he himself. Every day in mass, he makes himself present in the species of bread and wine, so that us who partake of him should have eternal life and be able to be raised up by him on the last day. Do you always hunger for this bread of life? We pray that our love for Eucharist should increase every day that passes, and may we get nourished and withdraw life and communion as we partake in the bread of life.
Let us Pray.
Lord Jesus, you nourish and sustain us with your very own presence and life-giving word. You are the bread of life - the heavenly food that sustains us now and that produces everlasting life within us. May I always hunger for you and be satisfied in you alone. Amen
Be blessed.
No comments:
Post a Comment