INTRODUCTION
God satisfies the hunger of his people. The readings today challenge us to rely on God as the only source of our survival for He does not only satisfy our material hunger, He equally fills us with his own life. The Word and the Eucharist thus become life-giving gifts of God to us. We are therefore encouraged today to renew our commitment for these great gifts serve as emblem of eternal life.
FIRST READING: Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15
The joy of being set free from the clutches of the Egyptians (see Ex. 14) had no limit such that the people had to worship God at the top of their voice for the glorious triumph (see Ex. 15: 1-13.16-21). However, it did not take a long time for this joy to turn to bitterness as the people complained serially against Moses for bringing them out of Egypt to die in the desert. They first complained against lack of water to drink and at Marah God changed the bitter water and sweetened it for them to drink (see Ex. 15: 22-25). At Elim, God blessed them with twelve springs of water a good shade where they pitched their tent for rest (see Ex. 15: 27).
In today’s reading, the people had barely left Elim into the desert of Sin lying between Elim and Sinai when they began to complain bitterly for lack of food to the point of reminding Moses that they had preferred to be in slavery where they had the opportunity to eat their fill than being set free. This indeed was a height of their ungrateful heart against the benevolence of God.
But God heard the complaint of the people and lavished on them “food from Heaven” in the form of fleshy quails in the evening and delicious manna in the morning.
The fact that the Israelites were given bread from Heaven, even after their murmuring, reminds us that God’s generosity is not dependent on our virtue, but on His Goodness. According to Bible scholars, quails and manna are occasional phenomena in the Sinai desert. Arranging for these gifts to arrive at the moment they were needed to meet the people’s need, however, was God’s work alone, His miracle. The quail may have been migratory birds that often drop down in groups to the Sinai deserts due to exhaustion after their return flight from Europe over the Mediterranean Sea to their autumn habitats. Manna is the secretion of two species of scale insects on the tamarisk shrub during the months of May and June. But it was God’s doing that the fall of manna occurred daily (except Sabbaths), for the 40 unbroken years of their wandering in the desert. As the secretions drop from the shrub’s leaves to the ground, they cool in the night air and become firm. If gathered early before the parching desert sun melts it, the manna provides a tasty, nourishing meal. Bedouins in the northern Sinai call it mann and still use it as a sweetener. The fact that the occasional occurrence of the manna and quail can be explained scientifically does not, in any way, lessen their theological importance in demonstrating God’s love for His people; indeed, the Israelites rightly ascribed these nourishing, timely gifts from the desert to the loving providence of their God. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “the remembrance of the manna in the desert will always recall to Israel that it lives by the bread of the Word of God; their daily bread is the fruit of the promised land, the pledge of God’s faithfulness to his promises” (CCC #1334).
SECOND READING: Ephesians 4:17, 20-24
In the selections from Ephesians which we have read on these past two Sundays, St. Paul showed us how God effected a new unity of His once separated peoples, the Jews and the Gentiles, by making both Christians. In today’s second reading, St. Paul encourages the Jewish and Gentile Christians to live out the consequences of their unification, by treating each other like members of one family. He also demands of the Gentile Christians of Ephesus radical changes from their pre-Christian way of life. They must a) “put away the old self of their former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires,” b)“be renewed in the spirit of their minds,” and c)” put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.” They must put away the old pagan life and put on the new Christian life, just as the catechumens divested themselves of their outer garments to go down into the Baptismal waters and, after emerging, were clothed in Baptismal robes. Here, St. Paul is challenging all baptized believers to personal holiness. (Fr. Anthony Kadavil).
GOSPEL: John 6: 24-35
Today’s Gospel is the beginning of Jesus’ long discourse on the Holy Eucharist. It is the longest passage in the whole of John’s Gospel. It presents every single detail from which the Church derives the theological backings on the Eucharist. It anticipated the institution of the Eucharist on the last supper. Unlike the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) who accounted for the institution of the Eucharist as the last supper meal shortly before the passion of Christ, John never spoke about the institution of the Eucharist. However, this very passage plays a distinctive role between John and the rest of the evangelists since he alone gave such a detailed theological foundation of the Eucharist.
The first response of Jesus to the crowd who came in search of Him is to believe in Him as the One sent by God:
1.) Believing as the first condition
Though identifying Himself as “the bread of life” (v. 35), Jesus is not yet speaking about the Sacramental Eucharist in this part of his Eucharistic discourse. Here, the emphasis is placed on the Faith-acceptance of the teaching of Jesus. In other words, Jesus offers us the life-giving words of God about the meaning of our lives. His message only gives life when we accept it and when it leads us from selfishness to selfless and sacrificial service for others. Jesus states that He is the Bread of Life only for the one who “comes” to and “believes” in Him (v. 35). Jesus offered to satisfy the spiritual hunger of the people gathered around on one condition. They must believe Jesus is the “One,” that is, the Messiah, sent with the message that God is a loving, holy, and forgiving Father, and not a punishing judge. Belief in Jesus is not simple intellectual assent, but an authentic, total commitment to Him of loyalty and solidarity. There is no reference yet to eating His Body or drinking His Blood, which will come later. Here, we are reminded that only a believing reception of the Body and Blood of Jesus will bring us true life.
At the tail end of this first discourse Jesus reminded the crowd that His Father is the one who fed their fathers in the desert.
Here the evangelist John makes reference to the first reading. He presents Jesus as the “New Moses”; though he quickly differentiates Jesus from the Moses of old as not just the one through whom God provides Bread for his people, but He Himself is the provider of the Bread and the Bread Himself. The double implications here is that John affirms Jesus as God and the Eucharist (not just as the manna of old) as “A life-giving Bread”, God Himself to His people:
2.) The Giver and the Gift
Jesus not only gives the Bread of Life (John 6:11, 27) — Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35, 48). The Giver and the Gift are One and the same. As the Bread of Life from Heaven, Jesus claims that only He can satisfy man’s spiritual hunger. While bodily food helps us to stay alive in this world, Spiritual Food sustains and develops our supernatural life which will last forever in Heaven. Through God’s infinite love we are given, in the Blessed Eucharist, the very Author of the Gifts of Faith and Sanctifying Grace. Thus, the Eucharist is not a mere “symbol” of Jesus; rather, it is a Sacramental sign of Jesus’ Real Bodily Presence in His glorified, scarred, risen Body. This Bread of Life — Who is Jesus Himself — gives mankind a new relationship with God, a relationship of trust, obedience and love.
LIFE MESSAGES:
1) We need spiritual nourishment from the word of God and from the Holy Eucharist:
In the Holy Mass, the Church offers us two types of bread: a) the Bread of Life, contained in God’s Word and b) the Bread of Life, contained in the Holy Eucharist. Unfortunately, many of us come to Mass every week only to present on the altar our earthly needs without accepting spiritual nourishment by properly receiving both God’s Word and the Holy Eucharist. Let us nourish our souls with this Heavenly manna and carry Jesus to our homes and workplaces, radiating Jesus’ love, mercy and compassion all around us. It is perhaps the plainness and ordinariness of the consecrated Bread and Wine and their easy availability in our Churches that can sometimes prevent some of us from appreciating the great gift of God in the Holy Eucharist. But we should not take “for granted” the Divine generosity with which God provides these Gifts, both readily and gratuitously, by simply sharing in the Bread of Life “automatically,” without showing due preparation, attention, and proper respect. Let us remember that the Eucharist we celebrate and receive this day IS Jesus, the Bread of Life come down from Heaven. Let us ask our Lord, “Sir, give us this Bread always,” and hear from Jesus the assurance, “Behold the Lamb of God. Behold the One Who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those who are called to the Supper of the Lamb.” (Fr. Anthony Kadavil).
2) Let us gain spiritual life and strength by properly receiving the Holy Eucharist:
Receiving Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, gives us 1) courage to carry out God’s work in the world, 2), help to live the life God wants for us, 3), inspiration to know the will of God in our lives, 4), a deeper understanding of the holy mystery of Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist, 5), encouragement to love others and to strengthen the Faith community, 6), grace to overcome temptation and avoid sin, and 7), Joy and Peace of heart, in knowing that Christ lives in us and will bring us to God’s Heavenly Kingdom. Hence, we must receive the Holy Eucharist with our whole minds and hearts. Let us never forget that the “Bread of Life” IS the risen Jesus Christ Himself, not merely human bread. When we pray, “give us this day our daily bread,” let us remember that the Holy Eucharist is not simply a “snack,” such as we might eat at a party or at lunch. It is Food for our souls giving us a share in God’s Own Life. (Fr. Anthony Kadavil).
3) Multiply good works like the loaves and fishes:
“Jesus satisfies not only material hunger, but the most profound of hungers, the hunger for meaning in life, the hunger for God. In the face of suffering, loneliness, poverty and difficulties of so many people, what can we do? Complaining, does not solve anything, but we can offer what little we have. We certainly have a few hours of time, some talent, some expertise. … Who among us, does not have his or her “five loaves and two fish”?
“If we are willing to put them in the hands of the Lord, we will bring a little more love into the world, a bit more love, peace, justice, and joy. God is able to multiply our small gestures of solidarity and make us partakers of his gift.” (Pope Francis Angelus July 26, 2015).
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, You are the Living Bread that came down from Heaven, the source of Life for your pilgrim people on earth. Increase our hunger for the Eucharist and strengthen our faith to understand the mystery enshrined in it so that we may always receive it with hearts free from sin and corruption. Amen.
PAX VOBIS!
