The Bread for Eternal Life

08-18-2024Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

When Jesus spoke of the food that endures for eternal life, the crowd challenged Him to do something better than the manna their ancestors received in the exodus. In response, Jesus identifies himself as the bread of God that came down from heaven. He is the new bread from heaven, the Bread of Life. I am the BREAD of Life; whoever eats this bread will have eternal life. The bread that Jesus gives is His flesh, His crucified and glorious flesh. And now, He gives the same flesh in the Eucharist, the sacrament of His Body and Blood.

In the second half of the Gospel, the Lord reiterates that He is the BREAD of life and compares Himself with the manna. The manna provided the people of Israel with their long journey to the promised land, but despite its wonderful nature, it did not give them eternal life. What the manna could not, eternal life, Jesus supplies as the Bread of Life whoever eats this bread will live forever. Jesus explains further what it means to eat the living bread from heaven, His flesh as a sacrifice. He perfects this sacrifice through His love and obedience to the Father and transforms it as a living sacrifice in the Eucharist the source of eternal life for the whole world.

By the sacrifice of His Body and Blood, He instituted the sacred meal of the Eucharist. The Eucharistic banquet is the union of God and His people and between each member of Christ. Partakers in the Mass become a community sharing in His Body and Blood. Jesus wants to be closely united with each of us and so became Himself the sacred banquet. The Jews got offended by His offer of His flesh because they only saw consuming His flesh and blood in a worldly manner of cannibalism. They did not know that Jesus was referring to the mystery of the Eucharist. After His Ascension, His disciples will perpetuate His sacrifice by following His instruction at the Last Supper. While they were at supper, Jesus said: this is my BODY; this is the BLOOD of the new covenant; do this in memory of Me. He wants us to eat His Flesh and drink His Blood in a Sacramental manner, under the appearance of bread and wine.

Jesus loves us in an everlasting, abiding, and everpresent love in the Bread of Life. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. The sacrament of the Eucharist now becomes the sacrament of Love, His unconditional, unlimited, nurturing love, and fulfilling the promise to remain with us till the end of time. At another time, Jesus said: If you love me, the Father, the Spirit, and I will love you, and we will make our home in you. Jesus is the Emmanuel, His presence in the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist. In the Eucharist, Jesus offers the most comprehensive insurance that covers both the temporal and eternal need, that is, for life and eternal life. We all like to protect temporal riches, everything and everyone with our in surance: Home, cars, investments, health, life, etc. The purpose is for peace of mind if something unforeseen happens to our properties and savings. But with the Eucharist, His very flesh and blood eliminate the hunger and quench the thirst for life and beyond. Despite the bold proclamation of Jesus as the true bread from heaven, many of His followers, and even His disciples, abandoned Him. The TRUTH was too much for them. But the truth will be truth, regardless of lack of understanding, disbelief, and ignorance.

In the Eucharist, we receive the living God, and our hearts are full of joy! Every Eucharistic celebration is the Lord’s way of securing and protecting us from spiritual corruption. The Living Bread gives life and nourishment to our souls and prepares us for eternal life. Lord, help us to eat well and eat right for our body and soul.