REFLECTIONS TODAY In allusion to the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, Jesus quotes a passage from Scripture, “The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me” (v 18). This is from Psalm 41 (v 10), a psalm of lament of one who is sick. He is visited by people who speak without sincerity,...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The people cannot grasp the meaning of Jesus’ miracle in feeding the multitude because of their overly materialistic concern. Here they are after food which Jesus can give; they expect another multiplication of bread. He tries to raise their thoughts to a higher level by telling...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In his apostolic letter Patris Corde, Pope Francis presents St. Joseph as a working father: “St. Joseph was a carpenter who earned an honest living to provide for his family. From him, Jesus learned the value, the dignity and the joy of what it means to eat bread that is the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY First Reading • Acts 2:14a, 36-41 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: “Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Many people, including Jesus’ own disciples, cannot accept that Jesus is the life-giving revealer sent by God, that he is the bread of life come down from heaven. The test of faith is set before all the disciples, and “as a result of this, many of his disciples returned to...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In the Hebrew’s understanding, “flesh and blood” is their idiomatic reference to the whole person. Therefore, when Jesus insinuates in giving his flesh as food and his blood as drink, he actually indicates that his very person, the incarnated Son of God, is the life-giving...
REFLECTIONS TODAY In today’s Gospel, the evangelist John proposes two themes: Jesus is the bread from heaven, and this bread of life is prefigured in the Eucharist. At the very start of John’s Gospel, in the prologue, Jesus is already presented as the incarnate Logos—the preexistent Word of...
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...
REFLECTIONS TODAY “Gospel” means not just the word of Jesus but also the message about Jesus. The disciples who hear him speak and witness his powerful deeds see him as more than a prophet or miracle worker. In the light of his resurrection, they believe him to be the Messiah and the Son of...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The crowds who have experienced the multiplication of the bread follow Jesus with such haste and urgency, believing that he is the answer to their immediate need of hunger. But Jesus chides them in searching for him for the wrong reasons. They are looking for bread, the way their...
REFLECTIONS TODAY Though loneliness can at times lead to desperation, it can also be the start of a journey to faith. To be lonely once in a while is a reminder that within us is a void that can be filled only by Jesus who walks with us, even if often unrecognized. This is the symbolism of the...
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Greek Ego eimi literally means “I am.” Here it is translated as “It is I,” for the sake of smoothness. In the context of the story, Jesus may have said to the disciples, “It is, I, Jesus—your Master. There is no need to be afraid.” But these words of assurance do...
