True Bread from Heaven

08-08-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

A line from a song says: Bread from heaven, Jesus, it’s you. Your way of loving makes us all like you. He becomes the bread of life by dying for us on the cross. The bread that provides us our provisions for our journey of life just as Elijah survives the pilgrimage to Mt. Horeb with the miraculous bread. Forty days Elijah lived with only this bread at Mt Horeb identical with Mt. Sinai. God establishes the covenant on Mt. Sinai with Moses. Elijah is the second Moses, upholds that covenant at Mt. Horeb. The hearth cake of Elijah is the equivalent of the Holy Eucharist, which is our provision in our journey of life. Nourished by the Eucharist, we shall reach our final destiny, eternal life.

Jesus Christ is the bread of life in the Holy Eucharist that makes us know and live. From the beginning, the first man wants to know the secret of life. Planting man in the Garden of Eden God makes them stewards of paradise, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But the first man wants to know and decide for himself and act accordingly. Man wants to be morally independent, which implies not wanting to acknowledge his being a creation of God.

The Holy Eucharist, the body and blood of Christ, makes us live. The bread that comes down from heaven is for man to eat and never die. Receiving the Eucharist frequently gives man the moral strength to make the right decisions, resist temptations, and preserve the divine life received in baptism. With the bread of life in the Eucharist, Jesus Christ teaches: I AM THE LIVING BREAD COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN. IF ANYONE EATS OF THIS BREAD, HE SHALL LIVE FOREVER. (Jn. 6:51) The reception of the Holy Eucharist assures us of eternal life. NO ONE WHO COMES TO ME WILL I EVER REJECT. (Jn. 6:37) Because His Words and the Holy Eucharist do not condemn but give eternal life.

Deep within, human beings are hungry for God. The fundamental idea and theme reflected in the Gospel for the past two Sundays. Of which the central theme is the Discourse on the bread of life. There is an innate hunger within, and nothing can satisfy that hunger. Because we have many other cravings or hunger like food, affection, security, knowledge, acceptance, comfort, etc., we miss recognizing that our deepest hunger is God. Jesus reminds the people following Him that they should stop seeking food that perishes, but for the food that leads to eternal life.

People are not ready for the truth about Jesus He is the bread that came down from heaven to give His flesh for the life of the World. The only way they can see this is through the eyes of faith. Only the eyes of faith can see the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. We need humility and faith. We need to accept the truth that Jesus Christ made Himself “small” in the humble form of bread. Communion with the body and blood of Christ increases the communicant’s union with the Lord… Since receiving this sacrament strengthens the bond of charity between the communicants and Christ, it also reinforces the unity of the Church at the mystical body of Christ. (CCC. 1416)