Daily Gospel Reflection for May 8, 2019

Reflection by Laurann Donahue Today's Gospel: John 6:35-40 Bread is life. John, chapter six may be my favorite chapter of the Bible. Here are the words of eternal life. “I am the Bread of Life.” How much more clear could He have been? Bread is life in every culture around the world. It may not always be made of wheat but there is always bread. The people to whom Jesus was speaking would understand the life-giving purpose of bread. Jesus had just fed 5,000 people the day before. They followed Him to the other side of the lake. They wanted more from Him. They wanted that life-giving bread. However, the true bread from Heaven gives eternal life. You will never go hungry if you eat this bread. How? He came down from Heaven (like manna). He does the will of the Father (like bread succumbs to the baker). He will raise them all to new life (like yeast rises in the dough and gives life to those who eat it). He says later in the chapter that the “bread I will give is my flesh, which I give so the world may live.” Bread must be consumed in order to give life. He goes on to explain that what the Father wants is for all who see the Son to believe in Him and have eternal life. Later on in chapter 6, Jesus repeatedly says that you must eat His flesh in order to have eternal life. His flesh is the Bread of Life. What could be more powerful than that? That our Savior would give us His own flesh to be our eternal food.