First Reading (1 Kings 19:4-8)
Reading from the First Book of Kings.
In those days, Elijah went into the wilderness and walked all day. Finally, he sat down under a juniper tree and prayed that he might die, saying, “It is enough, Lord! Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down on the ground and fell asleep under the juniper tree. Suddenly an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He opened his eyes and saw by his head some bread baked in ashes and a jar of water. He ate and drank and fell asleep again. But the angel of the Lord came a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat! You still have a long way to go.” So Elijah got up, ate and drank, and on the strength of that food he walked forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
– The Word of the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
Second Reading (Ephesians 4:30-5:2)
Reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians.
Brothers and sisters: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, with whom God has sealed you for the day of redemption. All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and insults must be put away from you, along with every form of malice. Be kind to one another and compassionate. Forgive one another, just as God through Christ forgave you. Be imitators of God, as children whom he loves. Walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up to God for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice.
– The word of the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
Gospel (John 6,41-51)
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, the Jews began to murmur about Jesus, because he had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? How then can he say that he came down from heaven?” Jesus answered, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Now everyone who has heard the Father and has been taught by him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father. Only the one who comes from God has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and yet they died. Behold, this bread comes down from heaven; whoever eats of it will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh given for the life of the world.”
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Imagine yourself walking through a dry and unforgiving desert. The scorching sun beats down on your heads, the sand burns your feet, and each step feels heavier than the last. You are exhausted, dehydrated, and the urge to just give up and lie down in the sand grows with each passing moment. Can you feel the despair, the fatigue, the discouragement?
This image is not far from the experience of the prophet Elijah, which we meet in today’s first reading. Elijah, one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament, reaches such a low point in his journey that he asks God to take his life. “It is enough, Lord! Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
How many of us have felt this way at some point in our lives? Maybe we haven’t literally prayed for death, but how many times have we felt overwhelmed, exhausted, ready to throw in the towel? Maybe it’s the struggle with a chronic illness, the weight of family responsibilities, the pressure at work, or simply the accumulation of small daily frustrations that bring us to this point of exhaustion.
But watch what happens next. God does not rebuke Elijah for his weakness. He does not criticize him for his lack of faith. Instead, with infinite tenderness and compassion, God provides. An angel touches Elijah, offers him bread and water, and encourages him to eat and drink. Not once, but twice, the angel comes, nourishing Elijah and preparing him for the journey ahead. This miraculous bread in the wilderness is not just physical nourishment. It is a powerful symbol of God’s care and provision, a prefiguration of the “living bread that came down from heaven” that Jesus speaks of in today’s Gospel. Let us now turn to the Gospel. Jesus declares, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever.” What an extraordinary statement! Jesus is not speaking of physical nourishment, but of spiritual food that sustains the soul for eternal life. Just as the bread in the wilderness gave Elijah the strength to continue his journey, Jesus offers himself as the sustenance that strengthens us on our earthly pilgrimage. He is the manna for our journey through the desert of life, the food that keeps us going when everything seems to knock us down.
But the Jews murmur. They cannot understand how Jesus, whom they have known since childhood, can make such claims. “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? How then does he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
How often are we like these Jews, limiting our understanding of God to what is familiar and comfortable? We forget that the God of the universe often works in ways that defy our human logic and transcend our expectations.
Jesus responds to this incredulity with an even bolder claim: “I am the bread of life… if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
These words are an invitation to a deeper faith, to a more intimate relationship with God. Jesus is calling us to go beyond our limited perceptions and embrace the mystery of divine love that offers itself to us in such a concrete and personal way.
In the Eucharist, we celebrate and experience this mystery in a tangible way. The bread and wine become for us the Body and Blood of Christ, spiritual food that sustains us, strengthens us, and unites us more deeply with God and with one another.
But this spiritual nourishment is not just for our individual benefit. Just as Elijah was strengthened to continue his prophetic mission, we are nourished to be light and salt in the world. This is where the second reading, from the letter to the Ephesians, becomes particularly relevant.
Paul exhorts us: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, and forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” He calls us to be “imitators of God” and to live “in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.”
This is the fruit we are to bear as we are nourished by the Bread of Life. We are not only called to receive God’s love, but to be channels of that love to the world. Every act of kindness, every gesture of compassion, every word of forgiveness becomes an extension of Christ’s love to those around us.
Think for a moment: What would our community, our society, our world be like if we really lived this way? If, strengthened by the Bread of Life, we truly became “imitators of God”?
You may be thinking, “That sounds nice, but it’s impossible. I don’t have the strength to live like that.” And you’re right—in our own strength, it’s impossible. But remember Elijah in the wilderness. When he was at his lowest point, God provided the food he needed.
In the same way, Jesus offers himself to us as the Bread of Life, not just once, but continually. Every time we partake of the Eucharist, every time we turn to him in prayer, every time we meditate on his Word, he nourishes us, strengthens us, prepares us for the journey ahead.
And notice that Paul warns us not to “grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” This suggests that the Holy Spirit is actively working within us, guiding us, strengthening us, enabling us to live out the love of Christ in practical, concrete ways.
Dear brothers and sisters, wherever you are on your spiritual journey today, know this: God sees you. Just as He saw Elijah in the wilderness, He sees your struggles, your weariness, your doubts. And He is ready to nourish you, strengthen you, sustain you.
Perhaps you feel like Elijah, ready to give up. Listen to God’s gentle whisper: “Arise and eat, for the journey is long.” The Bread of Life is available to you. Jesus is offering Himself to you, today and every day.
Or perhaps you are struggling to understand, like the Jews who grumbled. Allow yourself to be challenged by Jesus’ words. Open your heart to the mystery of divine love that transcends our human understanding.
And for all of us who regularly participate in the Eucharist, who frequently receive the Bread of Life, let us ask ourselves: How are we living this gift? Are we allowing it to transform us? Are we becoming more compassionate, more ready to forgive, more willing to love as Christ loved?
May we, strengthened by the Bread of Life, continue our journey with renewed hope and courage. May we be living witnesses to the love of Christ in a world hungry for compassion and forgiveness. And may we, at the end of our earthly pilgrimage, arrive at the mountain of God, not exhausted and defeated, but full of life and love, ready for the eternal banquet that awaits us.
May the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, restore you, establish you, strengthen you, and establish you on the foundation. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
