The Gospel of John 6:24-35 The next day, when the people who remained after the feeding of the five thousand saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always. ”Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
Let us Pray: Lord, as challenges surround us, fix our eyes on Jesus—the Creator, Sustainer, and Deliverer. May we not be afraid, knowing that He is with us. To Him be all honor and glory. Amen
Jesus is bluntly honest with the people he had fed the previous day. He knows they came looking for him because they had eaten their fill of bread. Why do we look for Jesus? Is it out of love or for what we can get? The truth can be uncomfortable and make us defensive and even cynical. Or it can make us stop, look, reflect and change. The crowd physically came to Jesus to seek more signs, but instead, Jesus asked them to listen from their hearts for what He had to offer. Isn’t that part of the meaning of bread from heaven when you come to Jesus to read his word in Scripture and then use your gifts to perform the works of God? If we believe that Jesus is with us, we do so, isn’t it also possible to be transformed into an unconditional love-filled person to share our combined human and divine self with the world? Our growing relationship with God is to trust that our glorified Jesus satiates our hunger and thirst for eternal life. This Gospel is a real reminder that every day is a struggle that we must face with pure hearts. It’s true that the world today is a mess full of hatred and corruption but let us still try to make things work for each of us through prayers and to live and practice the love Jesus has for each and every one of us.
Let Us Pray: Loving Father, thank You for sending Jesus as our living Bread from heaven. His broken body and shed blood sustain our souls. May we partake of Him daily. In His name. Amen
Reflections by Bob 