The Sunday Gospel [August 12, 2012]
John 6:41-51
41The Jews murmured about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” 42and they said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop murmuring among yourselves. 44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. 45It is written in the prophets: ‘They shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. 46Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; 50this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
Reflection
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.” ~ v. 51
Elijah is disheartened and wants to die, but an angel comes to him and feeds him again and again so that he can make his journey to Horeb; the mountain of God. (1st Reading) Today we are told to do nothing to sadden the Spirit and rid ourselves of bitterness, anger, harsh words, slander and malice and imitate God in loving each other. Jesus feeds us the bread of life that sustains us daily, that is the bread of justice, of hope and freedom, to be shared around with all. We are fed food that enables us to live forever and to live even now as those taught by God (Scripture) and with Jesus’ own life (Eucharist). We do not dare despair or grow weary. We are sustained.
Reflection Credits: Megan McKenna, Theologian, Tasting the Word of God
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