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. (John 6:35 NABRE)
Generally speaking, I'm not one to use the words never or always. Each is such an extreme word that it doesn't allow for any flexibility or opposing viewpoint. In today's verse from John's gospel, Jesus is speaking to a crowd of people who seek a miracle like the manna which God supplied to the Israelites during their desert wandering, specifically they were hungry and wanted food. This was the same crowd he had fed the day before with just a few loaves and fishes.
Interestingly, John does not tell us whether Jesus fed the crowd in the manner they hoped for. Instead, what Jesus taught them about himself was more than most were able or willing to understand. They were concerned for earthly bread, but he taught them not to "work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life." (John 6:27a)
Lord Jesus, you are the bread of life, the bread that endures into eternity. I come to you because the Father has drawn me. Help me never to lose my faith in you because of distractions in this life--that kind of food and drink which perishes. Help me to share in the eternal life which you now share with the Father.
Today, on this third Tuesday of the Easter Season, I will work to keep focused on what matters most.
Saint Anselm, known by the title "Father of Scholasticism" for your attempt to analyze and illumine the truths of faith through the aid of reason, pray for us.
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