A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 6:44-51
Jesus said to the crowds: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world."
REFLECTION: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven: and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.”
We have all heard "You are what you eat". It is a translation of the French phrase "Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es." [Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are], written by French doctor Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, in his book "Physiologie du Gout, ou Meditations de Gastronomie Transcendante, 1826."
Too many chips, cookies, sugar and fats will lead to obesity, diabetes and hypertension. A diet of good protein, fruits and vegetables and exercise restores your losses and reinvigorates your energy. One might even slim down and stop medications.
With the spiritual food of Jesus Christ man no longer lives for himself but allows Christ to live in him. Worthily received, Jesus restores us back to Himself and gives us the virtues lost through sin. He salvages the soul from the injuries of disobedience.
This is the core of our faith. Our beloved God humbles Himself in the appearance of bread and wine so that we can fully receive His Body and Blood. He gives Himself to nourish our souls and to strengthen us in His love.
May we understand God’s love for us in Holy Communion. May our priests emphasize the importance of confession and receiving our Beloved God in the state of grace.
God bless
