John 6:24-35
When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into boats and crossed to Capernaum to look for Jesus. When they found him on the other side, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered: “I tell you most solemnly, you are not looking for me because you have seen the signs but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat. Do not work for food that cannot last, but work for food that endures to eternal life, the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you, for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal.”
They then said to him, “What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?” Jesus gave them this answer, “This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.” So they said, “What sign will you give to show us that we should believe in you? What work will you do? Our fathers had manna to eat in the desert; as scripture says: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
Jesus answered: “I tell you most solemnly, it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven, it is my Father who gives you the bread from heaven, the true bread; for the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread always.” Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst.”
Homily
Gift giving and receiving is a normal and very pleasant part of life and from it springs a sense of deep gratitude. In fact we often say that the worth of the gift is not important, that what is important is the intention of the giver. This is not entirely true because sometimes the gift is of such significance for our lives that it signals something very important about the giver. It tells us something about our worth to the person who gives it. Sometimes, however, we do not understand the gift and we just have to cherish the gift, cherish the gift giver and wait for understanding to come so that we can fully appreciate and benefit from the gift.
This reflection on the nature of gifts and gift giving came to mind as I read the scripture readings because they deal with gifts and the gift giver and the importance of the gift to us, his people.
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In the first reading of the Eucharistic celebration for this weekend, we see the Israelites grumbling because they were yearning for what they had left behind in Egypt. They tell Moses and Aaron: “Would that we had died at the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread! But you had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine!” God hears the cry of his people however and decides freely to give them the gift of quail and manna so that their hunger would be satisfied. When they saw the manna however, they did not know what it was. It had to be explained to them so that they could benefit from it.
In the Gospel passage for this weekend we find the Jews searching for security. In his preaching Jesus has shaken the foundations of the people’s faith. He has told them that God loves everyone and that riches are not a sign of God’s favour. Unlike others, Jesus is not interested in their acclaim. When they wanted to make him King, he escaped from them and now he tells them that they only seek him because he has fed them and they want more from him. He warns them that they are not on the right track: “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”
If they thought they were doing the right thing, Jesus’ answer disappoints them. They are not. They lose their sense of security and so they ask Jesus: “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus tells them to believe in HIM but, again, the need for security steps in so they ask for a sign and cite Moses who they say gave their ancestors a sign in the form of the manna. Jesus corrects them and reminds them that it was God who gave the manna. God was the gift giver and in this way they were invited to find their security in God. “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.” God however was now giving a far greater gift than the manna which satisfied the hunger for meat and bread. Now the freely given gift is Jesus himself who satisfies not only bodily hunger but the hunger and thirst for happiness which every human being experiences. 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.”
We live in very uncertain times, uncertain economically, politically, morally. Here in T&T, our national security is at an all-time low. The murder count continues to rise. In this situation we all put in place security measures. We do not eat out as often, we save more, we seek political security in new affiliations and most of us double lock our car doors and house doors. Some find their security in their money, Politicians hold on to leaders simply because they are afraid of political cemeteries and others seek to hold on to the past, like the Jews who told Jesus; “Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
Like the Jews of old we need to be reminded that no human person can give us the bread that we truly need. The search for security is in fact a search for happiness and the only thing which can bring us individually and as a society to this happiness is belief in and acceptance of the “bread of life”, Jesus himself who is God’s greatest gift to the world. It is in living the values of Jesus that we find security. It is in living these values that we find happiness. This in fact was the experience of all the saints. The martyrs went happily to their deaths secure in the love of God; the saints undertook various works, seemingly impossible, secure that the works would succeed – and they did. You and I as disciples of Jesus must find our security in God and in his message which is brought to us in Jesus, the bread of life. It is this which will bring the happiness we all seek.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, the beginning of wisdom is to understand that without You we can do nothing and without You there is nothing of any worth. In our search for a better society help us to keep You and Your message of love at the forefront of our minds. Never let us forget that Your Son Jesus is the true bread from heaven, the bread which satisfies every human desire.
We ask this through the intercession of Mary our Mother and Jesus, Your son, the bread from heaven who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
