Jesus became the Bread of Life by dying for us on the cross. He is the Bread God provided in our journey, much like the one provided for Elijah as he journeyed to Mt. Horeb, the miraculous bread. For forty days, Elijah lived with only this bread at Mt Horeb. The hearth cake that sustained Elijah was like the Holy Eucharist God provided food to sustain him in his journey. Is this not what Jesus said in the Gospel: He is the Bread of Life that came down from heaven, the source and sustenance of life until we reach our final destiny, eternal life?

Many of the Jews of the Exodus were stubborn, grumbling, and complaining people. They grumbled and complained to Moses, and God performed several miracles to show His providential care for the people of Israel in their wilderness journey. He sent them manna, a word derived from the Hebrew expression: What is it? (manhu) (Ex. 16:15).There were attempts to reduce the symbolism of the manna as a congealed sap of a desert shrub. But the Scriptures clearly say that the manna was a supernatural phenomenon. Its appearance is limited to the forty years when Israel was in the wilderness (Ex. 16:35). Thus, there is only one possible explanation: God performs the miracle (Hebrew niphloth) in the deliverance of the people of Israel.

I just returned from the 10th National Eucharistic Congress NEC in Indianapolis, IN. Every day of the NEC was a moment of grace; the experiences, testimonies, and teachings about the Eucharist could transform the world if taken with great love, devotion, and adoration of the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Bishop Robert Baron said that if there is one commandment we Catholics have consistently followed: Do this in memory of Me. Jesus says: This is my Body This is my Blood; He is God from God, light from light, true God from true God, is the theology of the Church, the theology of the Real Presence. Jesus says: This is my BODY given up for us. And this is my BLOOD shed for us. What becomes truly present is His Body given, and His Blood poured out, and we consumed the Eucharist and become what we eat confirmed unto love unto death.

The Gospel shows us the compassionate heart of Jesus as a Shepherd. Jesus sees the vast crowds of people waiting for Him on the other side of the lake. His heart moved with pity for them; they were like sheep without a shepherd. He sees through their heart, recognizes their needs, and pities them. Meanwhile, the disciples are also tired, have little time to rest, and cannot even find time to eat as people flock to them wherever they go. While working for the vineyard of the Lord, we also need to take care of ourselves. That is the message Jesus wanted to convey to His disciples. They need time to rest, recharge, and reconnect with the FATHER in prayer (in a deserted place).

Discipleship entails being a missionary, for mission is essential to being a disciple. The Father sent the Son, Jesus, to proclaim His Kingdom here and now. Peace be with you. As the FATHER has sent me, so I also send you. (Jn. 20:21) As the Father sent Jesus, Jesus sent His disciples, the twelve (12), to be witnesses. And now, we are also sent by Jesus to be a witness to the whole world. The same is true with the Church. Every disciple is a missionary by their baptism. Disciples sent to continue the Church’s apostolic mission in a communion of faith and life with Jesus. The Christian vocation is, of its nature, a call to the mission. (CCC. 863)

Jesus visited His native place and went to the Synagogue on the day of the Sabbath. Since they heard good things about Him, they asked if He could say something; He took the opportunity to teach them. At first, they loved every word He preached and were astonished at His wisdom. But after a moment, they questioned His credibility and credentials. They could not believe that someone they knew could attain such wisdom and perform mighty deeds, and they took offense at Him. Familiarity breeds contempt. What started as an innocent question turned into contempt, doubt, rejection, and refusal to believe and have faith in Jesus.