I Am The Bread Of Life

Have you ever lived across the country from a good friend and some days you just wish you could drive to their house and share a meal or a glass of wine? There is an ache to be in each other’s presence, have face time, and be able to share the same space, which is only heightened during this time of social distance and isolation. Today’s gospel is God’s version of this same ache to be near to us. The crowd was asking Jesus to perform again. We love to be entertained don’t we? They even give him a specific request for his performance and use manna from heaven as a suggestion. The word manna literally means, “What is it?” So Jesus takes the challenge because the ache of God to be intimate with His children burns within him, and he reminds them that his Father is the one that gave them bread in the desert. Since this generous gift had them confused, “what is it?” God knew He needed something more substantial, something more defined, something more real, and something that would also allow Him to share the same space with us. Bread from heaven would now have a Name and there would be no question mark at the end of it, “I AM the bread of life.” There is no more “what is it?” because the “it” is God’s Son, who is in fact, I AM, and who will never leave us hungry again. 

Hunger and thirst are two of the most basic human necessities and God is so super smart that He knew He needed to use these two basic human needs as His platform to remain with us. Spiritual hunger and thirst is our ache to be in His presence and so He gave us a way to be in His actual presence every single day, by consuming His actual presence. There is no better way to ensure intimacy with Him than to allow Him to physically be a part of us. We give God “space time” when we take the Bread of Life that He has so generously offered us in Christ Jesus. This space-time is essential for our thriving in His Holy Spirit. This Bread fortifies our own spirit in His Spirit and as it courses through our veins, God’s very essence makes His home in us. Where God is, the Son, and their Holy Spirit dwell and this is the answer to the Hebrew’s notorious question, “what is it?” It is “I AM” and “I AM” is all we need to satisfy our hunger and thirst. “Whoever who comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” If we come to him and believe in him, we will never hunger and thirst. I feel like the word “never” is an absolute that some practical thinkers might find an exaggeration, however, it’s been my observation and experience that the most faith-filled people I know have a certain peace even in the midst of the worst possible storms, and I think that peace is evidence that they are fortified by the Bread of Life. It doesn’t eliminate the storms in our lives, but it does give us that same peace that allowed Jesus to sleep through the storm when all hell was breaking loose. 

God aches for space-time with us. He longs to share a meal with us. He wants to fortify our souls with His essence. He loves us so very much. The Bread of Life is Jesus and he invites us to come to him and to believe in him so that we will be filled. Chew on his word, dip it in the essence of God, and wash it down with the Spirit. This is a meal that will never disappoint. It is well with my soul.  

Reading 1 ACTS 7:51—8:1A

Stephen said to the people, the elders, and the scribes:
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears,
you always oppose the Holy Spirit;
you are just like your ancestors.
Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?
They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one,
whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.
You received the law as transmitted by angels,
but you did not observe it.”

When they heard this, they were infuriated,
and they ground their teeth at him.
But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God
and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
and Stephen said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
But they cried out in a loud voice,
covered their ears, and rushed upon him together.
They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him.
The witnesses laid down their cloaks
at the feet of a young man named Saul.
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice,
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them”;
and when he said this, he fell asleep.

Now Saul was consenting to his execution.

Responsorial Psalm 31:3CD-4, 6 AND 7B AND 8A, 17 AND 21AB

R.    (6a)  Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety.
You are my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake you will lead and guide me.
R.    Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
My trust is in the LORD;
I will rejoice and be glad of your mercy.
R.    Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men.
R.    Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
or:
R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia JN 6:35AB

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the bread of life, says the Lord;
whoever comes to me will never hunger.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 6:30-35

The crowd said to Jesus:
“What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?
What can you do?
Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:

"He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”

So Jesus said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;
my Father 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.”

So they said to Jesus,
“Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,

and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”