Posted by The WORD in other words (2018) by Fr Francisco Estepa SVD – Holy Name Univeristy, Tagbilaran City
Thursday 3rd Week of Easter
Worried about his chronic cold, Juan consulted a herbalist who advised him to eat a lot of fruits particularly the skin of the fruit. When the herbalist asked about his favorite fruits, Juan answered, “Coconut, pineapple, and durian.”
Like this story, the gospel for today talks about food. Not just any kind of food but Jesus as the Living Bread who came down from heaven, “Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” Jesus contrasted the Bread of Life to the bread (manna) that their ancestors ate in the desert. While manna satisfied only their physical hunger, Jesus as the Bread of Life satisfies a deeper hunger (not just physical hunger), a satisfaction that provides eternal life.
During World War II, among the imprisoned Jews was one psychologist by the name of Victor Frankl. He tried to find out the reason why some prisoners were able to survive the harsh prison condition while others did not despite having eaten the same food and having lived in the same tough concentration camp. This curiosity gave birth to his study of Logotheraphy – Man’s Search for Meaning. Those who find meaning in their lives can withstand the suffering within and around them.
Jesus as the Bread of Life offers Himself as the food that satisfies human hunger for meaning, human hunger for God. In the last part of the gospel, Jesus says that He is offering his flesh for the life of the world.
Just as Jesus gave His body for the life of the world, we, too, are invited to be bread for others. Let us continuously ask for God’s grace that our reception of the Eucharist may guide us in finding Him in our life and that we, too, may become bread for others.
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