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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider The bread of life discourse

The bread of life discourse

Published Aug 17, 2024 09:57 pm

REFLECTIONS TODAY

Gird your loins

Gospel • John 6:51-58

Jesus said to the crowds: “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.” The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 


Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. 


Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

 

A meaningful life 

The poet Pablo Neruda says, “Si nada nos salva de la muerte, almenos que el amor nos salva de la vida.” This may be translated as, “If nothing saves us from death, may love at least save us from life.”


The poet invites us to reflect on the kind of life we lead. He must be dreaming of the love that may save us from a worthless kind of life. Does our life at present make sense? Does our life find its meaning in Jesus? His love has the power to save us from a senseless way of living. Do we come to him? Do we receive him in the Holy Eucharist? Do we allow him to transform us that we may conform our life to his life? 


The Gospel presents Jesus as the true bread from heaven. He is the living bread that gives life. Whoever eats Jesus’ flesh and drinks his blood will live forever. As we actively participate in the Eucharist, receiving Jesus in the form of bread and wine, we have life from him. 


This kind of life we receive from him also entails the conforming of our values to his values. The more we receive Jesus’ body and blood, the more we have the chance of aligning our values to his life-giving attitude.

Source: “366 Days with the Lord 2024,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.

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