Gospel: John 6:24-35
So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’ Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ So they said to him, ‘What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” ‘Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Reflection:
Our gospel for today is from John 6:24-35. It reminds us that Jesus is the bread of life. “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”
In our present situation nowadays, it is very tough to follow and understand. Our world today is full of hatred and corruption. People are materialistic and are following the opposite direction of life. To understand the gospel means to live with it and practice it.
The gospel in John 6:24-35 teaches us to do things that are worth staying in heaven. It means to let our soul eat the bread of life. The bread of life is our food for eternal salvation. The bread that we take every day is only to fill our stomach, but the bread which is Jesus is the food for our soul.
The worldly bread keeps our body alive and kicking but it does not keep us safe during the final judgment. The real bread is in following the path that leads to Jesus. At these times, when the pandemic is doubling its strength, all we need is Jesus, the bread of life. We have to prepare our spiritual being for we don’t know the time and place to rest. Let us feed our souls by doing charity and living in this world through Jesus.
The gospel in John 6:24-35 is a real reminder that every day is a struggle that we must face with pure hearts. It’s true that the world today is a mess but let us still try to make things work for each of us through prayers. Every little thing we do for our neighbor cost nothing but an assurance to be with God in heaven. The bread that is Jesus is the only way to our salvation. – Clea | Helpline PH
