Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – August 9, 2015

When Jesus claims that He is the bread of life, He also states that the bread He gives is His own flesh, which He gives for the life of the world. This is the first time that He explicitly refers to his sacrificial death. Unlike the forefathers of the Jews (who ate manna from heaven in the wilderness and died) those of us who eat Jesus’ spiritual bread and drink his living water will live for eternity if we believe in him in faith. When we take part in the breaking of bread during the Eucharist, we join with Jesus, the saints and each other in fellowship with each other and with God. This spiritual food gives us a share in God’s life, and it is but a small sample of the feast we will have when we eventually sit down and enjoy God’s heavenly banquet.