"I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger"

From last week's Gospel to the end of August we will be hearing from the 6th chapter of John's Gospel. Known as the Bread of Life Discourse, it began last week with Jesus' multiplication of the loaves and fishes. This week, the people Jesus fed are now looking for him, and when they find him, Jesus recognizes that they are only looking for him to get more bread. As Jesus converses with them, they say, "Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat," referring to the story relayed in this week's first reading from the Book of Exodus.

Jesus takes this as an opportunity to teach them, saying "For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." He then goes on to reveal something to the people by saying, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst." Jesus is continuing to reveal the amazing and wonderful fact that He is the Word Made Flesh, the Incarnate God, who lives among us. But not only that; as we will hear in the next few weeks, Jesus goes even further here in John's Gospel to point toward the Eucharist, his very flesh and blood.

As we go about our daily lives, it is important for us to take a moment to stop and recognize the amazing reality that is Jesus. The Son of God, Second Person of the Trinity, became a man and lived among us. And then, as a way to remain among us and to feed our souls, he left us the Sacrament of the Eucharist. He is the Bread of Life; if we stay close to him and feed upon him regularly at Mass, our souls will never hunger. Let us pray this week that our hearts and minds can come to believe this fact that our souls already know and experience every time we receive Communion.

Want to prepare your heart and mind for next Sunday's Mass? Click here to find the readings.