I am the bread of life
Published Apr 25, 2023 04:03 pm
REFLECTIONS TODAY

In the Wisdom tradition of Israel, Wisdom personifies herself with this claim: “Those who eat of me will hunger still, those who drink of me will thirst for more” (Sir 24:21).
While the Jews believe that the Law is God’s greatest gift, and “in all wisdom, the observance of the Law” (Sir 19:20), here, Jesus categorically identifies himself as the revelation and the wisdom of God. He is the perfect fulfillment of the basic “hunger” and “thirst” of the human heart: to see God as God truly is—the perfect Wisdom. The very reason why the Father sent Jesus into the world was to join all humanity into the divine life with him, in him, and through his incarnation and resurrection. Jesus enjoins the crowd [and the peoples of all times] to believe in him as the mediator between God the Father and all humanity. Earlier he forewarns Nicodemus, “Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (Jn 3:18). Human response is wanting: to believe or not to believe.
Gospel • John 6:35-40
Jesus said to the crowds, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. But I told you that although you have seen me, you do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”
*Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2023,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [
[email protected]](mailto:
[email protected]); Website: [http://www.stpauls.ph](http://www.stpauls.ph).*
Related Tags