Fresh Dew Media

 18^TH SUNDAY, YEAR B: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: THE TRUE BREAD

(John 6:24-35)

Jesus Christ differentiates between true and false bread today, good and bad food, holy and unholy communion, earthly and heavenly nourishment, physical and spiritual meal, human and divine feasting. Let us listen to Him as He opens our mind to the sweetness and peace that comes from being fed by Him and escape from the bitterness and death that is the lot of those who feed elsewhere on the false bread.

 

VALUE THE BREAD OF LIFE

Jesus invites us to value the heavenly food he gives. The people who came to Him in the Gospel placed value on the type of food they expected. They expected material food, though they claimed to come to Christ for what He offers. Jesus knew their real intention of coming and made them know that they were making a mistake. They came to Him for false bread while He wanted them to receive the real bread. The true bread He gives is life, but they came for the perishable. The bread He gives sustains to eternity, but they cared about the here and now. The bread He gives is not just for the body, but His body, blood, soul, and divinity, raising us to everlasting life in Him, giving life to our perishable bodies.

This call to focus on the spiritual reality of the food of Angels Christ our pelican gives is a very important one in a world where the only thing that matters is materialism, possession, money and what money can buy. Jesus reminds us that these things may satisfy us for a while, but not forever. He reminds us that we can have our fill now and hunger forever.

 

BEWARE OF THE ATTRACTION OF THE FALSE BREAD

The false bread represents the worldly seductions. They are the various forces, influences, and desires that make us revere and honour the created things instead of the Creator. The people in the Gospel of today suffered such deception when they said that it was Moses that gave them bread from heaven. Jesus corrected the notion by maintaining that it was His Father who gives the true bread.

God in Christ gives us that bread from heaven for the life of the world.

Let us, therefore, be spiritually aware that there are seductive lures aimed at reducing our spiritual appetite for the word of God and for the word made flesh.

Let us reject whatever offer the world gives us in place of Christ. Let us ask the Lord today to give us this bread always as the people asked. Let us open our hearts to be nourished by God from above for our spiritual wellbeing. Let our spiritual eyes be opened to see Christ who assures us:" I am the bread of life."

 

Let us, therefore, stop feeding on the demonic bread, on the carnal bread, etc. Let us say no to whatever hinders us from participating in the Eucharistic feast in the right spirit and proper disposition. May God's word take flesh in our hearts.

 

LET US PRAY

Dear Lord, the many breads of this world confuse us some times from coming to You our True bread from heaven. Feed us and fill us with inner strength to overcome the meals our enemy presents to us. Deliver us with your heavenly grace from the earthly poisons of the enemy of our eternal life in You through Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy SUNDAY (18th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Yr. B)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh