Bread of God!

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Acts 7:51-8:1; Jn 6:30-35

Today’s Gospel invites us to reflect on Jesus as the life-giving bread. 

When the crowd demands a sign citing Manna as an example, Jesus talks about its origin in God. 

By holding that the bread of God gives life to the world, Jesus also means that whatever comes from God bears a life-giving gift. 

Here, Jesus also alludes to himself, giving us an understanding that he himself is the bread of God from heaven, which gives life to the world, and he confirms the same by saying, ‘I am the bread of life.’ 

‘I am the bread of life’ is also the first of seven ‘I am’ statements unique to John’s Gospel. 

The phrase ‘I am’ reflects Ex 3:14 where God reveals His name to be ‘I am who am.’

The ‘I am’ statements symbolize Jesus’ Divine identity. They also mean that Jesus makes God’s presence real on earth and fulfills his mission as God-sent. 

By saying, ‘I am the bread of life,’ Jesus immortalizes those who hunger and thirst for him. 

The statement of Jesus invites us to examine what we hunger and thirst for in our lives. 

Blessed are we if we look for the bread that gives us life!

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar