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Gospel: John 6:35-40
Jesus said to the crowds,
“I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
But I told you that although you have seen me,
you do not believe.
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Throughout the Gospels, Jesus makes several claims about himself starting with the words, “I AM,” including:
“I AM the Good Shepherd.”
“I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
“I AM the gate, the door, the light of the world, the vine, the resurrection and the life.”
All of these statements have roots in the Old Testament, and each of them makes Jesus the hinge of salvation.
He is the way to God.
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But the first “I AM” statement in John’s Gospel comes from the passage we heard today: “I am the bread of life.”
This bold proclamation provides the foundation for understanding much of Johannine theology. Namely, Jesus is not only God, but is also God in the flesh – and God fully present in the Eucharist.
As Saint Augustine once said, “We become what we consume.”
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How has receiving Christ in the Eucharist changed me?
In what ways am I becoming like Christ – bread broken and shared, nourishing, available to all?
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May we become what we consume.
The heart, the voice, the hands and feet of Christ in the world.
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Image credits: (1) Bibblia JFA Offline (2) Dad Speak, WordPress (3) Tim Staples, LifeTeen