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The crowd said to Jesus: “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.’”
John 6:30–31
Today’s Gospel begins the beautiful Bread of Life Discourse, which
we read at Mass for the rest of the week. In this discourse, we
read the conversation Jesus had with some of the crowd who, the
previous day, were among the more than 5,000 who were miraculously
fed by the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. The
conversation begins with the crowd’s search for physical sustenance
and gradually unfolds into a revelation of a deeper, spiritual
nourishment as Jesus points them to the “food that endures for
eternal life” (John 6:27).
Jesus had their attention. They understood that He was talking
about something mysterious—more than just the miraculous
multiplication of loaves and fishes. Therefore, they asked Him for
a sign and quoted the Exodus account in which God provided manna in
the desert. Understanding their question is key to understanding
Jesus’ response.
After Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and they wandered in
the desert for forty years on their way to the Promised Land, God
provided them with manna as “bread from heaven” (cf. Exodus
16:4–34). About 820 years after the Israelites entered the Promised
Land and established their kingdom, Jerusalem fell to the
Babylonians in 586 B.C. During this time, the prophet Jeremiah is
said to have hidden the Ark of the Covenant, which contained a pot
of manna, in a secret place before the Jews were taken into exile
(cf. 2 Maccabees 2:5–8). This hidden manna held symbolic
significance, and tradition suggests there was a belief that it
would miraculously reappear at Passover when the Messiah came,
beginning the dawn of the last days and a new era of divine
fulfillment.
Some traditions suggest that there was an expectation of the hidden
manna’s return, leading the crowd to wonder if Jesus would reveal
such treasures—true spiritual gifts that would confirm that He was
the long-awaited Messiah. However, the people misunderstood
Jeremiah’s actions and the deeper significance of the hidden manna.
While the tradition spoke of a miraculous return, Jesus intended to
fulfill that prophecy not by uncovering the old Ark but by
revealing Himself as the new Manna: “...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” (John 6:32–33).
When Jesus revealed this, the people asked Him, “Sir, give us this
bread always” (John 6:34). Unfortunately, the people still did not
understand. As they recalled the Exodus story about the manna in
the desert, they thought Jesus was promising a new physical food
that would sustain them. Therefore, Jesus clearly exclaims, “I am
the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and
whoever believes in me will never thirst” (John 6:35). With that,
Jesus begins to teach about the Eucharist, a teaching that would
find its fulfillment at the Last Supper, where He offered Himself
as true food and drink for the life of the world.
As we begin reading the Bread of Life Discourse, we are invited
into the greatest mystery of our faith. As a divine mystery—a
mysterium fidei—the Eucharist is not something we can figure
out by study alone. The Eucharist is God’s Presence into which we
are invited to enter, and Jesus must teach us the way. The
Eucharist is only understood properly through prayer—a prayer in
which God reveals His hidden presence to us.
Reflect today on your understanding of the Eucharist. Only the
spiritual Gift of Understanding will enable us to more fully
comprehend this most precious Gift. As we read through the Bread of
Life Discourse this week, make an effort to pray over the words.
Ask for enlightenment. Like the members of the crowd who conversed
with Jesus in today’s Gospel, commit yourself to participate in
their discussion. Seek to understand so that you will believe and
share in the abundant blessings given to those who partake of the
Bread of Life.
Bread of Life, You are the true food from Heaven, You are
sustenance for my weary soul. As we reflect on Your beautiful and
mysterious teaching of the Eucharist, please help me to understand
this precious gift so that as I approach the altar, I will do so
with renewed reverence, seeking not just physical participation but
a spiritual awakening to the reality of Your presence. Jesus, I
trust in You.
Image: The Sermon on the Mount by S. G. Rudl
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