THE HEAVENLY BREAD

We are continuing the Eucharistic discourse that Jesus started on the previous Sunday reading with the multiplication of bread and fish. In the first reading (1Kg 19:4-8) Elijah is fed by angels of God in the wilderness. Elijah is given food for his journey toward mount Horeb. In wilderness, the Israelites were given manna as food for their journey toward promised land. With the inauguration of kingdom of God, Jesus gives his flesh as food for our journey toward the eternal promised land.

WILDERNESS

      Elijah and Israelites were given food in the wilderness, which is a place of desolation, despondency, hunger and thirst. Jesus also multiplied five loaves and two fishes in the wilderness. All this shows that the life in wilderness cannot be overcome without external or supernatural help. Life in wilderness is dry and vulnerable. There is no security and chance for getting solidarity. All that a person can expect in wilderness is death. Elijah asks for that. He asks God to take his life after journeying for a day into wilderness. The experience of isolation and hopeless nature of wilderness landscape makes one to give up hope of rising again. At this devastating situation a person is not in proper mind-set to distinguish between good and evil. The devil often makes use of this chance to deviate persons. The devil comes to tempt the person in wilderness. Jesus was tempted in wilderness! The temptation in utter hopeless situation always leads a person to give consent to devil and make him victorious. Jesus fought this hopeless situation with the help of God, thus making devil defeated. Elijah and Israelites were supported by God in wilderness with necessary food so that they no more grumble against God and be resolute to heed the voice of God rather than giving consent to the temptations of the devil. There arise many wilderness moments in our life, where in we feel lonely, isolated, rejected… in all those moments to which voice do we pay heed? The voice that make us sin (temptation by devil) or the voice that says to take and eat (receive sacraments/God’s word).

Food for Journey

The fight against death in wilderness needs strength that can be gained by in-taking of nutritious food. This pandemic has taught us to be conscious of what we eat. Each time we eat we are defeating death and gaining life. But death will overtake us one day even if we continue to eat nutritious food, because this material food is not an assurance of prevention from death but only a support for life until the expiration of one’s body. We also need food to fight against the traps of devil. This food will make us live and prevent us from dying at the snares of devil. The often we eat this food, the more we become stronger to combat devil. The in-taking of this food is not support for some period of lifetime, rather making us hold onto eternal life. If we fail in receiving this food we will lose our hold on eternal life. This food is the flesh of Jesus – Eucharist. In wilderness moments the in-taking of this Eucharistic bread will make us heed to the voice of God and combat the temptation of devil. Why God allows devil to tempt us is an unanswerable and incomprehensible question. But how can we overcome the snares of devil is a most probable question. We can overcome devil’s deviations with Eucharist – the food for our journey toward heaven.   

JESUS, THE BREAD FROM HEAVEN

Manna, food given by angels to Elijah and Eucharist came from heaven. Among all these Eucharist is not just food – wafer/bread – rather a person. In the Eucharistic bread we are receiving the person of Jesus Himself. He says, “He is the bread from heaven”(Jn 6:41) “seen the Father”(Jn 6:46) “whoever believes has eternal life”(Jn 6:47). The origin of Jesus is heaven where there is neither beginning nor an end. We are born in this world and move toward heaven to be eternal. Jesus came from heaven to this earth to make us all reach heaven. We are journeying toward heaven. The life of Jesus on earth was not focused on gaining heaven for Himself because He is from heaven itself; His life on earth was like sojourn. His coming down from heaven to earth is to enter into humanity as food to make us all travel safely to eternal home. Only the believer will recognize the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. The receiving of Eucharist will make us hear His inner voice that influence us, guide us in most important moments, in most devastating and wilderness moments of our life. The earthly food guarantees healthy life on earth. The heavenly food guarantees eternal life after the annihilation of our bodily being. The fusion of eternal being with our material being make us fraternal being on this earth to reach heaven as godly being.           

     

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