So they said to Jesus, “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
6:34–35
Imagine if you were to never grow hungry or never thirst again. On
a natural level, this would be an interesting reality. Of course,
if you never had physical hunger or thirst, then you may never
enjoy the delight of good food and drink. So why would anyone want
to lose out on such delights?
Of course, Jesus was not speaking of natural food and drink, He was
speaking of supernatural hunger and thirst. And He was not saying
that the spiritual food and drink He came to give us would
eliminate our ability to delight in spiritual fulfillment. On the
contrary, Jesus was saying that the spiritual food and drink He was
to provide would result in never-ending fulfillment and
satisfaction.
Chapter 6 of John’s Gospel will continue to be read throughout this
week, the Third Week of Easter. This chapter presents us with what
is traditionally called the “Bread of Life Discourse.” It’s John’s
deep, mystical and profound teaching on the Most Holy
Eucharist.
First of all, it’s useful to look at this Gospel within its
context. Recall that on the previous day, Jesus performed the
miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, and a crowd
of people who had been fed by Him were now seeking more food. Jesus
uses their desire for more food to begin to teach them about the
Most Holy Eucharist, and He wants to do the same for you.
Put yourself into this scene. What is it that you hunger and thirst
for the most? Perhaps you have plenty of physical food, but perhaps
you don’t. If you do, what else do you crave? What do you desire?
When you have identified your deepest desires right now, use these
desires to allow our Lord to teach you about the Bread of Life. It
might be useful to say to our Lord, “Here are my current desires in
life…” And then, allow yourself to hear Jesus say to you, “I want
to give you so much more. I am what you truly long for. If you come
to Me, you will have all your desires fulfilled and more.” This is
essentially the conversation Jesus had with this crowd throughout
John Chapter 6.
Do you believe that the Most Holy Eucharist is capable of
fulfilling you on the deepest level? Too often we approach that
Sacrament in a lazy and distracted way. As a result, we often fail
to truly receive our Lord on a level that provides this deepest
delight and satisfaction.
Reflect, today and throughout this week, upon your approach to Holy
Communion. The Eucharist is Christ Himself. It’s a gift that has
the potential to not only sustain us in every way but also to draw
us into the greatest Heavenly delights. Believe Jesus’ words in
this holy chapter of John’s Gospel. For if you deepen your belief
in all that Jesus has said, you will begin to realize that all you
crave in life will begin to be fulfilled by this precious gift in
ways beyond your imagination.
My Eucharistic Lord, You are the Bread of Life. You are all that
I desire in life. Give me the grace of understanding, dear Lord, so
that I can come to believe all that You have revealed about the
Most Holy Eucharist. I do believe, my God. Help my unbelief. Jesus,
I trust in You.
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