May Jesus Christ be praised and may his holy Mother pray for us.
Today we continue our encounter with the Lord Jesus in the sixth chapter of the gospel of John. Two weeks ago we began this journey with the miracle of great abundance that began with a sacrifice. Last week our focus was on the Holy Eucharist as our food that has been given to us by God our Father in the person of Jesus Christ. Today we focus our attention on the mystery of the Holy Eucharist as the Bread of life that gives us strength for the journey.
In our first reading from the book of Kings we hear about the journey of the prophet Elijah. Like the Israelites in the desert that we encountered last week, the prophet Elijah was weary. Like the Israelites Elijah was fleeing the oppression of a king. In the midst of this crisis and after a day’s journey into the desert, the prophet Elijah sat beneath a tree prayed that the Lord would take his life, and fell asleep. Elijah was a man without hope. But then an angel appeared, roused Elijah from sleep, and told him to eat the bread and drink the water that had appeared. After he had eaten, Elijah wanted to sleep again, but the angel prevented him. “Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you.” Believing the words of the angel, Elijah ate again, was strengthened by the food, and walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God. The bread provided by the angel had given Elijah the prophet strength for the journey.
In our reading from the gospel of John we hear about the disbelief of the people who had been following the Lord Jesus. Though they had been present for the miracle of great abundance, they began to doubt Jesus when he made the claim the he was the bread that came down from heaven. The crowd could accept a share in the miracles of Jesus but now they had difficulties in accepting the person of Jesus. They questioned his origin and recounted what they knew of him. By their words the crowd demonstrated that they thought that they knew Jesus and so had no further need to listen to him. The response of the Lord Jesus, however, is another moment of revelation. The Lord Jesus speaks of the Father and refers to him as “my father.” The Lord Jesus reveals that those who come to Jesus are those who have heard the word of the Father and have been drawn by him. Flowing from his relationship with the Father, the Lord Jesus again announces that he is the living bread come down from heaven. The Lord Jesus declares “whoever eats of this bread will live forever.” Unlike the Israelites who ate the manna in the desert, were filled, and still died, and unlike Elijah the prophet who received bread from an angel and still died, the living bread that the Lord Jesus gives preserves us for eternal life. The bread of life gives us strength for the journey to eternal life.
Many of us remember with particular affection the day when we received our First Holy Communion. Whether we were children or adults, on that day we celebrated the completion of our preparation to receive such a great Sacrament. However, dear brothers and sisters, from that day forth when we have received the Bread of Life we have done so in order to be strengthened for our journey through this life. Jesus Christ himself feeds us so that the journey will not be too long for us. He strengthens us with his body and blood that we may be preserved for eternal life. You see, my dear brothers and sisters, as once we prepared to receive the Bread of Life, so now every time we receive the Bread of Life, we are being prepared to be received by the Lord Jesus on the day that the Father calls us unto himself.
As we celebrate this Eucharist today, let us ask for the grace to receive the Lord Jesus with the same joy and devotion that we had on the day when we first received Him. Let us listen attentively for the call of the Father drawing us closer to his Son. And let us ask the Lord Jesus to give us strength for the journey to eternal life.
Preached at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Monroe, NC
