NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, AUGUST 08, 2021

MASS READINGS

A reading of the holy Gospel according to Jn 6:41-51

The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven, ” and they said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop murmuring among yourselves. 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 bread of life.

In the first reading, Elijah says, "Enough, Yahweh". And tired he fell asleep and the angels brought him bread, saying to him, "Rise up and eat, for you have a long journey." It was the meal that God provided that gave him the strength needed to walk 40 days to the Mount Horeb.

We, too, are invited to be nourished by the bread of life, Christ Himself, present in the Holy Eucharist. In the Roman days, the viaticum or provisions of food or money were used for their journeys. Later on the name Viaticum is now the name given by the Church for the food or Holy Eucharist for our final journey home.

This nourishment of Jesus in the form of bread, makes it possible for us to make it to heaven. Jesus is the bread of life. We need to be sure that our loved ones know that it is of utmost importance we receive this spiritual assistance on the day of our final journey home.

Please tell all your loved ones of these needs.

To thank God for all He has given us, may we daily make better preparations to receive Him, frequent confessions, giving the reverence afforded God so that we can live forever with Him.

The Holy Eucharist is the greatest sacrament given to us from Jesus Christ who gives Himself completely for us.

God Bless You