19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

1 Kgs 19:4-8; Eph 4:30-5:2; Jn 6:41-51

In the first reading, we find the prophet Elijah so depressed that he wanted God to take away his life. His prophetic ministry earned him anger and persecution by King Ahab and his scheming bride Jezebel. At this time, the prophet felt that all his efforts were worthless and that God has abandoned him. He was at the point of complete exhaustion and desperation when God came to the rescue. For Elijah’s physical appetite, God supplied cake and water; for his spiritual need, God provided a consoling presence.

In the gospel, we hear Jesus addressing a spiritually malnourished people. Not long ago, Jesus satisfied the physical hunger of these people by breaking open barley loaves and fish. Now, he wants to break open the bread of his teaching in order to feed their minds and hearts. In another passage, Jesus said that “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4). In today’s gospel, he tells his audience that the word of God is he himself. He is the bread of life that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will be satisfied and will live forever.

These readings tell us that God is interested not only for people’s physical nourishment but for their spiritual sustenance as well. The Creator provides the world with material resources, which when properly distributed, would be more than enough for humankind. Hence, we all are challenged to work for the betterment of humanity by creating policies, structures and programs that would minimize the wide gap between the rich and the poor.

More importantly, God cares for the spiritual well-being of every individual. It is said that the greatest hunger of people today is not for food but for meaning. People, both the rich and poor, need something that would give color and meaning to their life. Because the human person is both physical and spiritual, his or her total well-being goes beyond the physical and the material. Money and material possessions alone do not fully satisfy us. In the gospel, Jesus offers himself to his disciples. “I am the bread of life. Whoever eats this bread will find contentment and everlasting life.”

To eat Jesus, first of all, would mean to welcome him and his teachings in our life. It would imply having time talking and listening to him in prayer and reflection. It would require putting his words into daily actions in our home, in the office, or in school. Furthermore, to eat Jesus would mean to receive his body and blood in the Eucharist. By receiving Holy Communion, Jesus becomes one with us and we become one with him. The more we receive the Lord, the more we become like him.

Good kind of material food is vital for the person’s health. But the person who eats good food must also do something in order to be properly nourished. Say for example, one eats fresh meat, fish, vegetables and fruits, but also frequents late parties, drinks heavily and exercises little. Definitely, the person in this case will not benefit from the good food that he or she is eating.

In the same way, the Eucharist is essential to our spiritual life. But we who receive the Lord must also do something to achieve spiritual wellness. We receive communion regularly, and yet we also maintain vices and illicit relationships, engage in illegal business, and continue to hold ill grudges against neighbors. Certainly, in this situation, we will not benefit from the spiritual food that we are receiving.

Saint Paul, in the second reading, gives us a good advice for the betterment of our spiritual life: “Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you” (Eph 4:31-32). Paul simply is urging us to follow seriously the Christian life, the way that leads to everlasting life.

A college girl said to her new roommate, “I respect your belief, but I find it hard to believe the Church is Christ’s Body when I see the way some Christians act.”

The girl said, “I felt the same way until I remembered that I don’t find it hard to believe Beethoven is a genius when I hear the way some musicians play his music. Beethoven isn’t the problem; the musicians are. So, too, the Church isn’t the problem; its members are.”

(The story is told by Mark Link)