Word to the Wise
Wednesday, April 26, 2023 - 3rd Week of Easter - Wed
[Acts 8:1b-8 and John 6:35-40][So they said to him, "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 saw to you, it was not Moses who gave you 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 him, "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." [John]
The multiplication of the loaves and the subsequent "bread of life discourse" mark a pivotal moment in the Gospel According to John. Because the feast of St. Mark fell on Tuesday of the 3rd week of Easter this year, the sequence of gospel passages from the discourse was interrupted. So I have put what would have been the portion on Tuesday in brackets so that the sequence is not lost.
The question asked by the crowd is rather strange in the light of the multiplication of the loaves, but it is similar to the one asked by the Samaritan woman who asked Jesus to give her the water he was referring to so she wouldn't have to come to the well every day. [John 4:15]. The crowd misunderstands what Jesus is telling them, so he goes deeper and deeper. The manna image is focused on hearing Jesus and believing in him. Then the dialogue will shift when Jesus identifies himself physically as the manna and speaks of eating his body and drinking his blood!!!
The Pew Research survey in 2019 purported to show that 7 out of 10 professed Catholics consider the consecrated bread and wine at the celebration of the Eucharist to be only symbols of the Body and Blood of Christ!!! As we will see from Jesus' own words tomorrow, he is not speaking metaphorically! This is a moment of faith, and we are confronted, as the crowd was, with what we do believe as Catholics. Stay tuned! AMEN
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