JOHN 6:41-51: Sacfricing ourselves for Others: Following Jesus Example

Last Sunday began a series of weeks where we have been hearing from John’s Gospel, from Chapter 6 , which is commonly from known as the Bread of Life Discourse. Complementing these readings are Scripture passages from the Old Testament, where God provides food and sustenance,

meaning,God’s promises of sustenance extend to every stage of life. From birth to old age, He promises to uphold, carry, and sustain His people.

This assurance is a reminder that God’sPeople, not just the people from the bible, but all of US who are believers that WE can depend on God’s faithfulness and presence in every circumstance they face.

Today’s recipient of God’s provision is Elijah. Elijah is dejected and exhausted. He has been prophesying to the people and, as is often the case with the prophets, has been vilified and threatened with death for his words. We meet him in the desert today, where he prays for death and falls asleep. The Lord hears him, but rather than provide what Elijah asks for, he gives him what he needs: food, drink, sustenance, and strength.

It is important for us to understand that God does not give us everything we ask for but provides us with everything we need. Sometimes, we are so upset that our prayer wasn't answered the way we wanted that we often overlook what we are given. We are not satisfied with what we have been given from God; we always want more. In our human weaknesses, we are always looking for more.

When Jesus speaks of himself as the bread that comes down from heaven in today’s Gospel, the Jewish people to whom he spoke would have known intimately the stories of the manna during the exodus and God’s provisions for Elijah. So, one can understand why they would find Jesus’ words puzzling and strange and murmur about them among themselves. After all, Jesus was clearly not bread but flesh and blood standing before them, and Jesus could not have come down from heaven because, as they point out, they know his parents, human parents, from their town. So, was Jesus lying? Was He confused by what he was saying?

Of course not. He is the bread of life that comes down from heaven. And we, of course, know this, don’t we? After all, this is what we are here to celebrate and receive. We are here because we believe that Jesus is the incarnate Word of God, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity who took on human flesh.

He (Jesus) did this to reveal to us the heart of God, to show us through His words and actions, and especially through His passion, death, and resurrection, the boundless love of God for us. He remains present in our midst in the Eucharist, the most Blessed Sacrament, sustaining us on our earthly journey with the promise that our life here will continue in heaven, with Him, forever.

It is through the paschal sacrifice, Life, Death, and Resurrection that this Eucharistic Sacrifice happens every time we come to Mass, by a priest, who is Christ's Persona, whose hands are consecrated so that they can make this possible for each of us here present at mass.

That is why we have to encourage all our young people or those who think they are being called to the priesthood so that we can continue to receive the body blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ.

How can we want anything more from God? God has given each of us his son, our Lord and Savior, the ultimate sacrifice of love that only he was able to make.

What an awesome revelation, what an awesome gift. May God always give us the grace to appreciate it from the depths of our hearts and praise Him for His mercy. Because believing in Jesus, the Son of God, means He must live in our hearts.

He must take up residence there and rule there, which means we must obey His commands.

The Lord gave Elijah hearth cake and water and commanded him to go back to his people. So it is with us: The Lord feeds us in the Eucharist, and we are commanded to go out into the world on a mission to His people—taking the Good News to all we meet!

We hear in our second reading, we hear how we need to turn from our own sinful ways, our immoral ways, and anything that causes us to be separated from God.

so that can be renewed in the spirit of your minds, through the sacrament of Penance and receiving our Lord when we come to mass and put on the new self, and remember that each of us is created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth.

Every time we come forth to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, let us do so with hearts hungry for His forgiveness, hungry for His love, hungry for His strength to imitate Him, and willing to love and sacrifice as He did for us.