EDITORIAL

The Bread of Life

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As Jesus went about his public ministry, He often would use familiar images and examples to explain the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. In John 6, Jesus begins his discourse on the Bread of Life through the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes. The people all had their fill to eat and there were enough leftovers to fill 12 wicker baskets. They then followed Jesus across the lake because they had their fill of physical bread.

Jesus then tried to lift their minds to the greater reality of the true bread which comes down from Heaven, when He declared “I am the Bread of Life.” He goes on in an even more graphic fashion to state that those who eat His Flesh and drink His Blood have eternal life. The people began to grumble and rejected what the Lord was trying to teach them, saying that this is a hard teaching and wondered who could accept it. Many people left and it was only Peter who affirmed that it is Jesus who has the words of everlasting life. There are many hard teachings in the faith that cause people to reject the Church, but it does not make the Church wrong because these teachings are hard to follow. Sin and worldly enticements cloud the judgments of people, but through God’s grace we can recognize Him in the breaking of the Bread.