In today’s Gospel Jesus uses the staple food of bread to point His followers to something more. He suggests that the crowd is following Him for a free meal as they did last week in the story of the feeding of 5,000. They should be looking to Him for so much more. Jesus refers to himself as the “bread of life.” He is saying He is essential for life. The life of Jesus is referring to is not physical life, but eternal life.
Jesus refers to himself as the bread that lasts for ever. Jesus has provided food for bodies, but He also feeds us spiritually with love, hope, grace and forgiveness. This is the true manna from heaven, which points beyond itself. As the source of all life, God meets us here and now as divine love made food, as life for humanity.
Whether we appreciate it or not, whenever we eat we commune with God. We experience the world as a place of gift – the “work of God’s hands.” Practically speaking, this means that as we give thanks for our food, we will also make sure that food we eat doesn’t involve unnecessary suffering to animals and does not degrade our soil and water sources. We could even learn to grow some food ourselves so that we can see, smell, touch and taste the miraculous and fragile process of birth, growth, death, decay and rebirth going on all around us. Sharing a meal gives us opportunities for discipleship, for eating with others creates a profound sense of community.