The Living Bread

True Bread.

44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets:‘They shall all be taught by God.’Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; 50 this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”-John6:44-51

Some Christian groups say that the 'bread' that Jesus mentioned here is metaphorical or symbolic only. However, the last line in today's Gospel clearly states that the 'bread' Jesus speaks of is His flesh. But Jesus never said cannibalism here. In fact, if there is one or two who probed deeper and asked Jesus what He truly meant, His Majesty might just have mentioned transubstantiation here. Later on, Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist in the Last Supper making His body and blood true bread and wine. Not only are we doing it in memory of Jesus, but it is through this Holy Meal that we become truly alive because Jesus lives in our own life.

Image courtesy: Always Catholic