Sunday:       Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Date:         August 3, 2003
Year:         B
The readings: [Ex. 16:2-4, 12-15, 31a; Ephes. 4:17, 20-24; Jn. 6:24-35]
The message:  The Eucharist, the Bread of Life.
Prepared by:  CATHOLIC DOORS MINISTRY
Total words:  1937

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Welcome my brothers and sisters in Christ to today's celebration of the Holy Mass on the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. May the grace of God richly bless each and everyone of you through the Sacred Words that shall be echoed during your participation in today's holy celebration.

Today's First Reading from the sixteen Chapter in the Book of Exodus [Ex. 16:2-4, 12-15, 31a] made reference to a very well known event, the raining of bread from Heaven. The events mentioned in this chapter took place in the wilderness of Sin, the desert area between Elim and Mt. Sinai known today as Debbet er-Ramleh. It should not be confused with the "Wilderness of Zin," which lies West of the mountains of Seir.

Some of you my brothers and sisters may be curious about the nature of the manna. You may ask, "What exactly is manna? Is there a recipe for this bread?" The manna spoken of in the Holy Bible was a honeydew excretion produced by two species of scale insect that infested the tamarisk thickets of the area, which, in fact, have gained the technical name tamarix mannifera. From the leaves of the thicket the substance dropped to the ground where it became somewhat firm in the cool night air of the desert. It had, however, a low melting point (70 degree Fahrenheit) and hence had to be gathered by 8:30 A.M. before the sun caused it to melt. To the Bedouins who still roam the area, the manna remains a delicacy because of its sweet taste. Based on these scientific facts, it can be stated that the manna that was eaten in the days of the Old Testament continues to be available on earth to this date.

What about the meat, the quails? Where did they come from and are they still available nowadays? The quail is a small game bird that resembles the partridge. They fly South annually from their northern European and Scandinavian quarters in September and October to winter in African warmth. Then in May and June they take up their homeward journey. Their long flights over water causes them to land exhausted on the Sinai Peninsula where they may be captured easily. Based on these scientific facts, it can be said that during certain months of the year, the meat that was eaten in the days of the Old Testament continues to be available on earth to this date.

According to the Gospel of John, [Jn. 6:31-59] the manna was symbolic of what was to come. The manna was symbolic of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, Who is the Bread of Life. Consequently, the manna was a type of the Eucharist itself.

The Second Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians [Ephes. 4:17, 20-24] addressed the absolute condition that is required for spiritual renewal. It affirmed the necessity to clothe ourselves with the new self, the new life that has been created in the likeness of God.

This Chapter from the Letter to the Ephesians gives a sharp contrast between their former pagan life and their new life in Christ. By the nature of the wording, it implies that the Christians from the Ephesian community could not have been converts for very long.

When St. Paul stated, "put away your former life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts," he was referring to the human nature as sons of Adam. Such a life is filled with human weaknesses that is prompted by countless moral failures that cause permanent spiritual death. [Rom. 8:13; Gal. 6:8]

To put away one's former life and to clothe oneself with the new self belongs to the baptismal liturgy. It echoes how in the early days of the Church, the candidates would remove their old clothes, plunged into the water and then put on new white clothing. Their outward sign signified an inner change, that the convert had put aside his former life, that he had "plunged" himself into Christ through faith, and was now, in Christ, beginning a new manner of life.

The "new self" refers to incorporation into Christ Himself, the new Adam, [1 Cor. 15:45] the Head of a renewed humanity that is sharing in His Spirit. It suggests the attainment of all that man was intended to be when God first created him according to His image. [Gen. 1:27]

Today's Reading from the Gospel of John [Jn. 6:24-35] echoes the words that are found in the Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament. "Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant..." [Is. 55:2-3] The Jewish people were very familiar with these words. How is that? Because from their early childhood, they were required to learn the Holy Scriptures.

The event that we heard during the reading followed the miraculous feeding of five thousand persons. When Jesus realized that the people were about to come and take Him by force to make Him King, He withdrew again to the mountain by Himself. [Jn. 6:15] During the night, Jesus and His disciples quietly set out for Capernaum by sea. [Jn. 6:16-21]

The next morning, it did not take long for the crowd to realize that Jesus had disappeared. As such, they set out to Capernaum where Jesus and His disciples were known to resort. When they found Jesus on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"

Some of you may have noticed that Jesus did not answer their question. Nor was He about to perform another miracle for them. To perform another miracle would have produced the opposite effect from the one that Jesus intended. Rather, He spoke to them about His coming, that being what really mattered.

Jesus said, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves." Through these words, Jesus meant that the people had not perceived the true meaning of the signs. The people had only considered the material aspect of the miracle, having failed to reflect on its significance. Surely, the feeding of 5,000 echoed Divine power beyond any human capabilities!

Jesus continued, "Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you." As previously said, these words echoed the words that were found in the Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament. [Is. 55:2-3] Those Words of Jesus were a call to work for eternal life. While one is called to work for earthly bread, he is also called to work for eternal life. The first, earthly bread, shall pass; the last, eternal life, shall be eternal.

The difficulty that Jesus was experiencing was the worldly mindedness of the people. While Jesus spoke of spiritual food that will not perish, the people asked what they must do to perform the works of God. Obviously, they were not tuned in. They were spiritually blind. They were very worldly minded, lacking spiritual mindedness.

When Jesus said that the work of God was that they believe in Him Whom the heavenly Father had sent, the people asked for a sign. They understood Jesus' Words to mean that their faith in Him was merely to credit Him for what He was about to do.

To be "worldly minded" or "spiritually blind" does not mean to have "selective hearing." Nowadays, there are those who have selective hearing. Through their free will, they have chosen fame, wealth and the pleasures of the world as their masters. They have rejected the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit that is absolutely necessary for the salvation of their souls. They never go to Church or do so very rarely. Nor do they receive the Sacraments of the Church that are absolutely necessary to secure their salvation.

As Jesus tried to enlighten the crowd regarding His life giving Divinity, the crowd argued among themselves that Jesus had only multiplied earthly bread. Yet, through Moses, God had given His people "bread from heaven." Now that was some miracle!

The people failed to realize the prophetic nature of the manna, the bread from Heaven. It foreshadowed the true bread of God that was to come from Heaven, Jesus Himself. Christ gives true life whereas the manna could only nourish mortal men.

Failing to perceive the symbolic language of Jesus, that the Son of Man and the Bread of God that comes down from Heaven was Jesus Himself, the people said, "Sir, give us this bread." These are the words that the Samaritan woman spoke when asking Jesus for the living water. [Jn. 4:15] While the worldly minds could perceive that Jesus was speaking of a non-physical bread and that He could give this heavenly Bread, they had not yet understood that Jesus had identified Himself as the Bread.

Not only did the people state, "give us this bread," but they stated, "give us this bread ALWAYS." This inspired word foretold of the necessity to always receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. It foretold of the necessity to continuously receive Jesus in our lives in the Real Presence.

When Jesus said to the crowd, "I am the Bread of Life," he used the words "I am" for the first time during His ministry on earth. In those days, when those two words were spoken together in that particular order, they implied that God was speaking. Those two words were so Sacred that no one dared to say them. It was forbidden to say them because they implied that one was God or His equal. When Jesus used those words during His arrest in the garden, Judas, the police from the chief priests and the Pharisees stepped back and fell to the ground. [Jn. 18:6] Yet, Jesus used the words when He said, "I am the Bread of Life." He was telling the people that He was God, the Giver of Life." Did the crowd understand? Obviously not!

Jesus concluded His discourse by saying that "Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." [Jn. 6:35] These Words fulfilled the prophetic Words of God that are found in the Book of Nehemiah, "For their hunger you gave them bread from heaven, and for their thirst you brought water for them out of the rock..." [Neh. 9:15]

Jesus is the Bread of Life. As Saint Paul stated in the First Letter to the Corinthians, "Jesus is the Rock." [1 Cor. 10:4] He is the Rock on which the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church has been built. [Mt. 16:18] Jesus said, "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock." [Mt 7:24]

My brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue with the celebration of the Holy Mass, let us thank the Lord for His gift of the Eucharist, the Bread of Life. The Lord God has blessed us richly with the Gift of Life to guide us in the way, the truth and the life. May God's Most Holy Name always be praised!

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The readings...

[The readings were taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (C) 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America.]

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First Reading...

"The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, 'If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.'

Then the Lord said to Moses, 'I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not.

'I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of 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 there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground.

When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, 'What is it?' For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, 'It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.' The house of Israel called it manna." [Ex. 16:2-4, 12-15, 31a]

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Second Reading...

"Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds.

That is not the way you learned Christ! For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus.

You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." [Ephes. 4:17, 20-24]

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Gospel Reading...

"When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were at the place where Jesus had given the bread, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for 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, 'Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.' Then they said to Jesus, 'What must we do to perform 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, 'What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.''

Then Jesus said to them, 'Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who 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, 'Sir, give us this bread always.' Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'"[Jn. 6:24-35]

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