18th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.

 

First Reading: (Ex 16:2-4, 12-15)

the whole congregation of the people of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or not. “I have heard the murmurings of the people of Israel; say to them, `At twilight you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’” In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning dew lay round about the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as hoarfrost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.

 

Ps 77:3-4, 23-25, 54

R./ The Lord gave them bread from heaven

 

Second Reading: (Eph 4:17-24)

This I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart; they have become callous and have given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness. You did not so learn Christ! -- assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus. Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

 

Gospel: (Jn 6:24-35)

When the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, `He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say 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.” They said to him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.

Reflection:

 “What sign do you do, that we may see and believe you?” It was a strange question for them to ask, as they came to Jesus travelling to and fro between Tibe­rias and Capernaum looking for him, only because they were so impressed by the feeding of the five thousand. In fact, what a fantastic event they had witnessed! Still, they were asking Jesus for a sign to believe!! Jesus has highlighted the uselessness of signs for such people in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus: “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead” (Lk 16:31). It is noteworthy that the chief priests took counsel how to put Jesus to death when they saw the dead Lazarus of Bethany walking around alive (Cf. Jn 11:53). Only when one seeks God, he/she will be able to perceive signs. The Italian mystic Maria Valtorta, in the book The Poem of the Man-God, writes that the morning after the resuscitation of Lazarus, Mary, his sister, looking at a fresh flower opening up, exclaims, “Oh! the Lord said to you this morning, ‘Little flower come out!’ and here you are.” Every moment of our life, we are surrounded by countless signs from God.