Sunday 4 August 2024
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15. The Lord gave them bread from heaven – Psalm 77(78):3-4, 23-25, 54. Ephesians 4:17, 20-24. John 6:24-35.
What is the ‘bread of life’ we need today?
There’s an interesting contrast between today’s readings. In the First Reading, the Israelites are starving in the desert, so God sends them bread and water as a test of their faith. In the Gospel, people are asking Jesus to give them bread as a sign that he’s from God, but there’s no mention that they are starving and hungry. Jesus, it seems to me, recognises that it’s not physical bread they need, but something else – what he calls the ‘bread of life’.
Today, it might be good to reflect on what we need from God. There are perhaps things we think we need – food, clothing, shelter – but these are usually things we might earn through our own efforts. What are the things that only God can give us? What is the ‘bread of life’ that we need to sustain us? Pray for that today.
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