The Word God Spells

John 6: 44-51
Acts 8: 26-40 / Ps 66: 8-9, 16-17, 20

I am the bread of life … the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die … If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever … the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.
(John 6: 48,51)

The Word of God we must believe,
This mystery men can’t perceive:
From God the Bread of Life was sent
As our eternal nourishment.

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:44-51)

Reflection

Much of the things we read in the Bible pertain to food. The fall of Adam and Eve in the first book of the Bible (Genesis) came about because of a forbidden fruit that they ate in disobedience to God’s command. The tribe of Israel moved to Egypt so that Jacob and his people could obtain all the grains they needed in the long years of famine. Centuries later, when Moses led the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land, God provided them with manna from heaven to sustain their 40-year sojourn in the desert. The four Gospel books are replete with parables about eating and food production (Parable of the Sower, Weeds among the Wheat, the Leavened Bread, the Wedding Feast, Prodigal Son, etc.), and passages where Jesus is invited to banquets. And of course we recall the two times that Jesus fed thousands of people when He miraculously multiplied a few loaves of bread (Mt.14:19-21, Mt.15:35-38).

Our loving Father has shown us in the Bible how much He cares for His creation, and most of all His children, whom He made in His image and likeness. In the words of Jesus, God said, “Do not worry about what you are to eat, and what you are to drink. Only the unbelievers worry about such things. Your Father knows you need them all. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.” (Read Mt.6:25-34)

Finally, the Ultimate Food that God gave man was His Only Son, and it was not mere coincidence that the Baby Jesus was laid on a manger, a feeding trough. It was a symbolic gesture that the Son of God was destined to become the food of all who believed in Him, and would serve as our nourishment for eternal life. Jesus said: “I am the Bread of Life … the Living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh” (Jn 6:48, 51). He has fulfilled His Word. All over the world, those who believe in Him are nourished and saved in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

Lord, give us this Bread always, so that we may never fear death, but will always be filled with the hope that one day we shall all enjoy Your banquet in heaven. Amen.