Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 2, 2015
Gospel: Jn 6:24-35
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they
themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum (1) looking for Jesus. And when they
found him across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi (2), when did you get here?” Jesus answered
them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because
you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for
food that perishes
(3) but for the food that endures (4) for eternal life, which the Son of Man
will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” So they said to
him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said
to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” So
they said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?
What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He
gave them bread from heaven to eat.” So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say
to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father 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.”
So 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 hunger, and
whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
The difficult words
(1) Capernaum was a town in Galilee where Jesus
often stayed.
(2) Rabbi is a Jewish title for a wise
religious teacher.
(3) To perish is to disappear or come to an
end.
(4) To endure is to last for ever.
This week’s spotlight
Signs and miracles
During the last three years of his life, Jesus
performed many miracles, healing the blind, the lame, lepers, and people who
were paralyzed. He also transformed water into wine and multiplied loaves of
bread and fish to feed a crowd. Jesus did these wonderful things out of love
for the human family. He wanted to relieve people of their pain and to announce
the kingdom of God. These signs and miracles show that Jesus was sent by the
Father: They invite us to have faith in him.
The bread
Bread is made from grains of wheat that have been harvested and ground up to make
flour. Bread is also what we share together when we are at the table having a
meal and getting our energy back. Christ chose bread for the Eucharist not only
because it was the most commonly eaten food in the Mediterranean area but also
because it is a symbol of unity and gathering together. Breaking bread is a
gesture of welcoming and hospitality. The priest repeats Jesus’ gesture with
the bread at Mass. When bread does not contain leaven to make it rise, it is
called unleavened bread. Unleavened bread is eaten at the Jewish Passover meal
- the meal Jesus celebrated at his Last Supper when he gave us the
Eucharist.
Reflection
Hungry for God
Do you know why Jesus came to earth? If you think he
came to perform miracles by healing the sick or by feeding a whole crowd with
only five loaves of bread and two fish, you are partly right. However, Jesus
himself explains that he did not come just for that. John reminds us of this in
Sunday’s Gospel. Many people followed Jesus because he performed miracles. We
believe in Jesus not because he brought free food and miracle cures to some
people, but because he freely offers all people eternal life with God. He has
left us with his Word to listen to, as well as his body and blood in Holy
Communion. Just as regular food helps our bodies to grow, the spiritual food of
Scripture and the Eucharist helps our faith in Jesus to grow. Let’s ask the
Lord to give us this “food” always and to always make us “hungry” for God!
Discussion questions
1. Where did people go to look for Jesus?
2. What did Jesus ask them to work for?
3. What can people do to accomplish the works of God?
4. Who gives the true bread from heaven?
5. Who is the “bread of life”?
Praying after Communion
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. In
today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that he is the true bread from heaven. Help me
to always hunger for communion with your Son, the Bread of life.
Crossword Puzzle
Source: http://www.usccb.org - Magnifikid - www.sermons4kids.com