This Week
August 9 - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today we resume the “Bread of
Life” discourse from John’s Gospel
that began two weeks ago. He makes
reference to the Jews’ ancestors who
ate manna in the desert. These days
we would think primarily of Israel
wandering in the desert, but faithful Jews would
also have known the story of Elijah that we hear
today. Strengthened by food and drink in the
desert, the angel of the Lord sends him on his
forty-day and forty-night journey (the biblical
number for a preparation time). Like the food
given to Elijah in the desert, Jesus tells his
listeners that he is bread for the life of the world.
It is very important that we not stop listening to
Jesus after his promise of eternal life—a
marvelous promise, but this “reward” is not the
only reason we feast on the Bread of Life. We also
come to the table to be made strong for the
journey of mission, that the whole world might
have life in the fullness of Christ. We are
compelled, if we have eaten of the bread of life, to
go forth in service to all. © Copyright, J. S. Paluch Co.
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