Tarsish Marak csc –
Readings: 1Kgs 19: 4-8; Eph 4:30-5:2; Jn 6:41-51
In the first reading, we encounter a dejected and hopeless Elijah, fleeing into the wilderness to escape his pursuers. There, the angel of the Lord comes to him with food and drink, strengthening him for his journey to Mount Horeb. This divine provision highlights God’s care and sustenance for his servants in times of despair.
In the gospel, Jesus teaches that he is the bread of life came down from heaven, offering eternal life to those who believe. He emphasizes that it is his flesh which will give life to the world, drawing a clear connection between himself and the divine sustenance God provides. God’s revelation through Jesus emphasizes the interconnectedness of the Father and the Son.
Jesus provides us with daily spiritual nourishment, though his presence is invisible, it becomes tangible through the sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation. The Holy Eucharist is indeed “the source and summit of the Christian life.” At every Mass, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is made present and offered to us as the food for eternal life. The Eucharist not only unites us with Christ but also with one another.
Eucharistic worship and adoration empower us to perform works of love. As St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “If we truly understand the Eucharist, if we make the Eucharist the central focus of our lives; if we feed our lives with the Eucharist, we will not find it difficult to discover Christ, to love him, and to serve him in the poor.”