The Sunday Gospel [August 6, 2012]
John 6:24-35
24When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 25And when they found him across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. 27Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” 28So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” 29Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” 30So they said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? 31Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34So they said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
Reflection
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” ~ v. 35
Among other things, today’s story tells us about the importance of signs. When Jesus fed the people with only a few loaves of bread, they accepted him as a kind of king. But then their enthusiasm wore off. When they meet him the second time, they no longer thought of him as anyone special but merely as a kind of magician who could work magic and give them food. In other words, because their faith was weak, they were unable to see beyond and recognize Jesus as the Son of God.
God is always giving us signs. Every day he tries to show us that he is our Father and that he loves us. He does this through other people. And he does this through what we experience. However, we need faith and wisdom. We need faith in order to recognize the many signs of love God gives us each day. This is why we must be very alert, looking beyond our immediate experiences to see God’s love for us in the signs he gives us. In the same way, we too must be signs for others. Like Jesus, we become bread for others, nourishing them by showing them signs of love.
Reflection Credits: Fr. John Seland, SVD, New Reflections on the Sunday Gospels
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