Beginning today, and for next two Sundays, we will hear nearly all of the “Bread of Life Discourse” as recorded and found only in the Gospel of St. John (see chapter 6:22-59).
As we contemplate the message contained in today’s passage, we might simply ask ourselves: “At the present time, and in this life, what are those things that matter to us the most as we attempt to remain faithful to Jesus?” I believe we can ask this question in light of how we relate to others, the desires and needs we have as we live today, and as we contemplate our hope for the fullness of grace, and for eternal life.
In last week’s Gospel, we heard the story of the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes. We saw that Jesus had performed a very “temporal” miracle in order to satisfy the hunger of a crowd of people for whom he had so much compassion (i.e., he had pitied them, and then he satisfied their need to eat at that moment). Those very same people are featured once more in today’s Gospel; it seems they continued to follow him, and were captivated by him, because they wanted even more “temporal” satisfaction. Because they did not yet understand the heavenly and eternal purpose of Jesus’ mission, and they likely hoped Jesus would become a type of earthly king, Jesus needed to instruct them about the imperishable nature of his mission and purpose.
In the teaching contained in today’s Gospel, the people were challenged to understand a greater reality; they were taught about what really mattered for those who understood the meaning of life from an eternal perspective. Jesus said to them: “You are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled . . . do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life . . . I am the bread of life and whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst” (see John 6:24-35).
We cannot interpret this teaching aside from our understanding of who and what Jesus is for us as we come together to celebrate the Eucharist. For us, Jesus himself is the “bread from heaven given for us to eat” (cf., John 6:51), and in the sharing of this heavenly food, we are given a glimpse into heaven, and are allowed an understanding of those things that really matter the most–in both the present and in the next life.
Jesus fed the multitudes with the loaves and the fishes in order to satisfy their temporal needs, and he calls us to do the same in the way that we reach out and serve the less fortunate, but there is something much greater that we must never forget: Jesus himself is the Bread of Life, and he gives himself to us completely and eternally! He does this so that we might be nourished today, and so that we might also experience the fullness of life and live forever!
May the faith we have, how we live it in this life, and the manner in which we associate and place ourselves in service to others, be like the imperishable, eternal and sanctifying Eucharist we receive and share–may these things matter to us the most, and may they foreshadow that future glory of ours where Jesus already reigns forever! Today, let us confidently hope for the fullness of grace, for the promise of life eternal, and for that day when all will be satisfied, and no one will ever hunger or thirst again!
Praise God! Friar Timothy
