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| (John 6:24-35) |
God feeds us with eternal
food that makes us free
In the First Reading this Sunday
we hear the story about Moses and the Israelites, how, after Moses freed the
Israelites from slavery in Egypt they wandered in the desert toward the land
that God had promised to them. When they were hungry in the desert many
complained to Moses and wished they were back in slavery where at least they
had regular meals to eat. That night God sent quail for them to eat and the
next morning bread poured like rain from the sky to feed them. God met their
needs out of love for them. Though slavery is often more convenient it is less
human, less what God created us for; as God’s people we are made for freedom.
As a parallel story, in today’s
Gospel the crowds follow Jesus after the multiplication of the loaves to feed
5,000 people. They followed Jesus because he fed them. Jesus saw they were
hungry and provided for their needs. Jesus promised them and promises to us that
he will give us the bread of God…which comes
down from heaven and gives life for the world. Jesus himself is that bread;
He is our food. This is a radical Christian idea that we are nourished and
fulfilled when we eat the bread of life, when we take into ourselves the person of Jesus, not just an idea or ‘path’ that he shows to us. Jesus is
not just a model or a prophet with a good idea, He is very different than Muhammad,
Buddha, Kahlil Gibran or Eckhart Tolle. Jesus is God and we are God’s beloved
sons and daughters and through Jesus, the Son of God, we are co-heirs to divine
life as Jesus’ sisters and brothers. Our response as Christians is to claim
that identity and to life in a manner
worthy of the call you have received. Jesus continues to feed us when we
come to him in prayer and in the Eucharist as we receive and become the Body of
Christ. In Jesus alone we become truly free, for as Augustine said, you have made us for yourself, O God, and
our hearts are restless until they rest in you.
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
-What am I a slave to that
distances me from God? Negative behaviors, addictions, technology, work, wealth,
popularity, etc.?
-What help do I need to break
out of slavery and allow God to fill and heal me? More time in prayer, discipline,
a community of accountability and support, counseling, etc.?
-When do I find time regular for
God to nourish/feed me?
-Do I believe that Jesus feeds
me in the Eucharist and that He desires to be with me?
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