Liturgy of the Sunday

Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

First Reading

Exodus 16,2-4.12-15

And the whole community of Israelites began complaining about Moses and Aaron in the desert and said to them, 'Why did we not die at Yahweh's hand in Egypt, where we used to sit round the flesh pots and could eat to our heart's content! As it is, you have led us into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death!' Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Look, I shall rain down bread for you from the heavens. Each day the people must go out and collect their ration for the day; I propose to test them in this way to see whether they will follow my law or not. 'I have heard the Israelites' complaints. Speak to them as follows, "At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will have bread to your heart's content, and then you will know that I am Yahweh your God." ' That evening, quails flew in and covered the camp, and next morning there was a layer of dew all round the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the desert was something fine and granular, as fine as hoarfrost on the ground. As soon as the Israelites saw this, they said to one another, 'What is that ?' not knowing what it was. 'That', Moses told them, 'is the food which Yahweh has given you to eat.

Second Reading

Ephesians 4,17.20-24

So this I say to you and attest to you in the Lord, do not go on living the empty-headed life that the gentiles live. Now that is hardly the way you have learnt Christ, unless you failed to hear him properly when you were taught what the truth is in Jesus. You were to put aside your old self, which belongs to your old way of life and is corrupted by following illusory desires. Your mind was to be renewed in spirit so that you could put on the New Man that has been created on God's principles, in the uprightness and holiness of the truth.

Reading of the Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Yesterday I was buried with Christ,
today I rise with you who are risen.
With you I was crucified;
remember me, Lord, in your kingdom.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

John 6,24-35

When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into those boats and crossed to Capernaum to look for Jesus. When they found him on the other side, they said to him, 'Rabbi, when did you come here?' Jesus answered: In all truth I tell you, you are looking for me not because you have seen the signs but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat. Do not work for food that goes bad, but work for food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of man will give you, for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal. Then they said to him, 'What must we do if we are to carry out God's work?' Jesus gave them this answer, 'This is carrying out God's work: you must believe in the one he has sent.' So they said, 'What sign will you yourself do, the sight of which will make us believe in you? What work will you do? Our fathers ate manna in the desert; as scripture says: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' Jesus answered them: In all truth I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, it is my Father who gives you the bread from heaven, the true bread; for the bread of God is the bread which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. 'Sir,' they said, 'give us that bread always.' Jesus answered them: I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever hunger; no one who believes in me will ever thirst.

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Yesterday I was buried with Christ,
today I rise with you who are risen.
With you I was crucified;
remember me, Lord, in your kingdom.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Homily

The Gospel page we read begins with the crowd going in search of Jesus. And this time they even cross the sea, in order to reach him. Jesus understands and comprehends this search and desire to get close to him.
And Jesus, obedient to the Father who wants the salvation of every human being, continues to speak to that crowd so that they might understand what he had done. He exhorts them to seek true nourishment for their lives: "Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life." Of course, there is a need for food and clothing, as well as for one's own well-being. But there is a beyond that they must feed on. This beyond is Jesus himself and his Gospel. The crowd struggles to understand, as they are so focused is it on the bread of the day before. To have it they are willing to do something more: "What must we do to perform the works of God?" But Jesus does not ask for something more. He only asks for their hearts. The only work is to believe in him. He will say this later: "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." The only work that lasts forever is faith in him. Not the acceptance of a doctrine nor the practice of ritual rules. Faith is a real "work" that requires, like any work, a choice, decision, commitment, reflection, passion, continuity, application, effort and surrender to the Lord. This is the bread that lasts. And it comes from heaven. This is the bread that lasts. And it comes from heaven. Jesus makes it very clear: "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never be hungry." Those listeners understood Jesus' reference to the manna in the desert and also the very meaning of that bread multiplied by the five thousand.
The bread is Jesus himself whom the Father has made available to all: all can receive it free of charge and also multiply it for others in their turn.