Daily Reflections ...

In today’s Gospel, the Jews are having a hard time reconciling how Jesus can claim to be ‘bread that came down from heaven’, a reality deeply embedded in their psyche as a divine act that fed the Israelites in the desert for forty years through the supply of manna, that literally came down from the sky and settled on the earth each morning for them to collect and make into ‘bread’. How can a person, whom they know, fulfil this extraordinary act of divine provision, promising that those who believe in him will live forever?

Do we have a spiritual appetite for ‘the bread from heaven’ or are we content with the ‘bread’ that satisfies us momentarily? Are all our efforts directed towards fulfilling our human needs and desires for achievement, success, approval of others, and the accumulation of wealth, power and influence? While we must attend to our physical, social and material needs, do we hunger for the deepest yearnings of the human person to love and be loved?  

Like the Jews, too often we can ignore or dismiss God’s invitation to put our trust in Jesus, ‘the bread of life’ because we are so immersed in doing life and chasing illusory desires that promise happiness but inevitably leave us feeling disappointed and diminished. Placing our trust in Jesus as the source of our nourishment and contentment opens us to receive graces and blessings that sate our deepest human needs and leads us to care for others. We might choose to affirm this by reciting these or similar words during our day.

Jesus, you are the bread of life who nourishes and sustains us on life’s journey. Amen.   

By Mike Humphrys