Manna from Heaven

08-01-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Many of the Jews of the Exodus were stubborn, grumbling, and complaining people. They grumbled and complained to Moses, and God enacted several miracles to show His providential care for the people of Israel in their journey in the wilderness. One of the five miracles that stand out is the provision of bread (manna) and the quails sent by God when Israel complained about the lack of food. The famous manna 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 Scriptures clearly say that the manna was a supernatural phenomenon. And 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.

Jesus’ Galilean ministry finds its center in Capernaum. The synagogue of Capernaum is the scene of the famous discourse on the Bread of Life. The entire section on the bread of life reveals who Jesus is, where He comes from, and the grace He will grant us faith, the Bread of Life is the Eucharist, eternal life. He brings the Messianic gifts, and people thought that the manna (the bread they received as they journey through the wilderness) would be similar to the grace the Messiah provides. They have no idea that the manna prefigures the wonderful Messianic gift of God to us, His Son, Jesus Christ, present in the mystery of the Eucharist.

Every day, many miracles happen. The rising of the sun signals a new day, the setting of the sun signals the end of the day, the many new lives formed daily, and many more ordinary miracles. Because these signs happen daily in such a simple way, many of us no longer see God’s handprint on them. The sustenance of the plant and animal kingdom, how God takes care of the whole creation: Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. (Mt. 6:26) Human beings need food nourishment to live if God provides for other creatures, how much more for us. Even if God gives us daily bread, it is not enough to satisfy our inner hunger and quench our real thirst. Jesus is aware of why the people are looking for Him a steady source of food. He takes this opportunity to teach them to elevate their longings, “you should not be working for perishable food but for food that remains unto eternal life.”

When Jesus says that He is the Bread of Life, we naturally think of the Holy Eucharist, the food that He gives us in the form of bread to sustain our spiritual life. The Eucharist is the bread of life which comes from heaven and gives life to the world. In the Eucharist, we are united to Christ, who transforms us into His own mystical body. The food of the soul, the food of unity, and the communion of believers living their newfound life in Christ. “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” So do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures for eternal life. Pray that our desires and passions will lead us to hunger not only for provisions of the body but for the food of the soul.