Gospel: John 6:52-59
The Jews were arguing among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
My flesh is really food, and my blood is truly drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood, live in me, and I in them. Just as the Father, who is life, sent me, and I have life from the Father, so whoever eats me will have life from me. This is the bread from heaven; not like that of your ancestors, who ate and later died. Those who eat this bread will live forever.”
Jesus spoke in this way in Capernaum when he taught them in the synagogue.
Reflection:
"We are nourished by the Lord."
God helps us in so many ways. The Lord’s Prayer points to his sustenance, his pardon and his deliverance from evil. This providential sustenance works on different levels, both the physical and the spiritual; both that which is necessary for earthly existence and for eternal life. And so, the daily bread we pray for is God’s care each day, but also his gift of Christ, the bread from heaven, whom we receive in the Eucharist. The first bread from heaven was the manna, which kept the Israelites alive in the desert. The second bread from heaven is the Son of God himself, come down from heaven, so that we might be nourished for eternal life. Union with Christ gives us a new sense of direction and sense of purpose, as well as new strength to pursue our calling, as we see in the example of the conversion of Saul from persecutor to preacher. After fasting in repentance, Saul was baptized, then he “took food and was strengthened” for his mission. We, too, are nourished by the Lord each day, both physically and spiritually. Strengthened by him, may we, like Saint Paul, be faithful to our calling.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2025