18th Sunday in Ordinary Time(Cycle B, Year II)

Community Word:Belief in Jesus Christ, our Living Bread, leads us to eternal life.

Theme:Our belief in the Living Bread leads us to accomplish the works of God.

Promise:“… whoever comes to me will never hunger and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” (Jn6:35)

Reflection:
In the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, Jesus points to us that it is not by bread alone but God’s presence that gives us life. The Holy Eucharist brings us deeper in our soul to find God and recognize the challenge this brings to our daily life, in living with and for others in peace. The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is not merely a call for devotion, but a real desire to find deeper meaning in our relationship with God, leading us to eternal life.

Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty,”(Jn 6:35). As the “bread of life,”Jesus speaks of the benefits of believing and abiding in Him, of consuming Him and making Him part of us. To understand Jesus as the bread of life is to be passionate about our faith. It means seeking after His word and following His teachings. To have a relationship of Jesus in the Eucharist requires us to rearrange our lives and reset our priorities. To be a person of passion is to make sacrifices and have an ardent longing for the bread of life. To accept the life-giving bread of Jesus is to completely trust in God who will provide all our needs.

When we focus more on working for food that perishes and makes us hungry, we may forget about the food that sustains us to eternal life. Jesus is the food that stops our spiritual hunger. We are all hungry for God’s love, kindness, care and grace. We worry so much, we trust so little, we are so concerned with material things. Yet what really matters are our families, friends and the people that God places in our lives. When we have Jesus, we no longer hunger for earthly things because He is sufficient for us. When Jesus is in our hearts, we hunger no more because His love fills us up.

Our belief in the Living Bread leads us to accomplish the works of God, is our theme for the week. Jesus knows that we are searching for lasting and everlasting happiness. To share in His divine life, we are to partake of Him and then offer ourselves in the service for others, by sharing what we have, by being “bread of life” ourselves to others. We are to become “Eucharist” so that through us, others may have the promised eternal life as well. Through the Eucharist we are richly blessed everyday and with this blessing we become a blessing to others. Everyday, we are grateful to God for the people in our lives and for the blessings of our daily bread to enable us to finish the work that Christ has begun in us.

How eagerly we should search for Jesus, the bread of life, not just to ask for food that satisfies our human hunger alone, but to have a personal relationship with Him in our life. It is a continuing search and journey of faith, but one that will lead us to fulfillment knowing that we have the source of true joy, the Sustainer of our being. Truly, Jesus is life and we believe in Him as we receive this assurance in His words: “… whoever comes to me will never hunger and whoever believes in me will never thirst,” (Jn 6:35).

Prayer:
Thank you, Precious Jesus, for being the true Bread of Life that fills us with God’s love. Let Your heavenly food renew us, that our faith may increase daily and enable us to serve You fervently more than ever before, all for the glory of Your name. Amen.

Reflection Questions:
1. How does Jesus as the Bread of Life satisfy your spiritual hunger? What is your personal experience when you receive Him in Holy Communion?

2. What have you accomplished by being “bread of life” to others?

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
Aug 5, 2018 (Sun)-Ex 16:2-4, 12-15/Ps 78:3, 4, 23-25, 54/Eph 4:17, 20-24/Jn 6:24-35
Aug 6, 2018 (Mon)-Dn 7:9-10, 13, 14/Ps 97:1, 2, 5, 6, 9/Mk 9:2-10
Aug 7, 2018 (Tue)-Jer 30:1,2,12-15,18-22/Ps 102:16-18,19-21,29,22,23/Mt 14:22-36
Aug 8, 2018 (Wed) – Jer 15:10, 16-21/Ps 59:2-4, 10, 11, 17, 18/Mt 13:44-46
Aug 9, 2018 (Thu) – Jer31:31-34/Ps 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19/Mt 16:13-23
Aug 10, 2018 (Fri)- 2Cor 9:6-10/Ps 112:1, 2, 5, 6, 7-9/Jn 12:24-26
Aug 11, 2018 (Sat) -Hab 1:12-2:4/Ps 9:8-13/Mt 17:14-20

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”