Gospel – John 6:24-35
they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
“Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered them and said,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
you are looking for me not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”
So they said to him,
“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”
So they said to him,
“What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?
What can you do?
Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:
He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
So Jesus said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.”So they said to him,
“Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them,
“I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
Reflection on the Gospel
Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.
The entire gospel of John is based on the Epilogue, especially verse 14: “And the Word became flesh and pitched his tent among us, and we saw his glory, the glory of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.”
John’s gospel relies heavily on the Old Testament. This is especially true of Chapter 6. In the introductory verses of 1-23 we have three very meaningful allusions to the Old Testament. The first is to the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 12:7-16 where Elijah promises the widow of Zarephath that her bread will never run out. The second is to the manna in the desert in Exodus 16:4-12. The third is Jesus walking on the water, an allusion to Moses and the Israelites crossing the Reed Sea in Exodus 14. Verses 22-24 are transition verses to introduce the discourse on the Bread of Life which is the core of Chapter 6. The entire scene is in a Passover setting designed to fit the discourse.
Basic to the meaning of Chapter 6 is the element of faith in Jesus. In answer to their question, “What sign can you give us?” Jesus responds, “This is the work of God that you believe in the one he sent.” Their questions point out that their faith is weak or non-existent. Jesus is not asking for their faith in a miracle but in him. In this regard it is good to recognize that faith is not assent in a linguistic proposition but rather an experience of relationship with God in Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Faith in God is possessing me in such a way that he empowers me to recognize him present and acting in my life. Faith leads to fidelity, i.e. living out in the present moment a commitment I made in the past. Faith and fidelity lead to fraternity. Those who believe in Jesus and are faithful over a lifetime form the Fraternity of the Church.
The great test of faith for these disciples, as well as for us, begins in verse 35: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never hunger. Whoever believes in me will never thirst.” The great I AM statement of Jesus refers us back to Exodus 3:14-15 where Yahweh reveals his name to Moses. “I AM the one who is always with you.” Jesus is revealing that he is Yahweh’s presence in the flesh and to have a personal relationship with him in faith is to have a personal relationship with the Father who sent him. St. John Baptist de La Salle, in his meditation on the Feast of Corpus Christi, says
“Jesus wants you to make known to him that you honor him interiorly as he requires of you through attention you pay to the goodness he has shown you by giving himself entirely to you in this great sacrament. Be faithful to this. (Md 47:3)
Does your faith meet the invitation of Yahweh to Moses and Jesus to us to believe in the one the Father has sent – Jesus? Do you keep your fidelity alive by frequently celebrating Eucharist with your sisters and brothers in the fraternity of the Church?
Brother Malachy Broderick, FSC
St. John’s College Community
Saint John Baptist de La Salle – Pray for us.
Live, Jesus, in our hearts – Forever.