An Invitation to Come Closer

As the continuation of the Bread of Life discourse, Jesus says ‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world.’ (Jn 6:51) This is the key message which is reiterated in the 1st and 2nd reading. Like Elijah, whom the angel sent by God provided food to strengthen him for the journey ahead, the Lord provides us with nourishment to strengthen us to complete our mission on earth. The 2nd reading invites us to live in love and peace as children of God because Jesus has loved us by sacrificing himself for us, for our salvation, reminding us to practice Jesus’ self-sacrificing love. Jesus invites us to come closer to him, the bread of life. He is truly present in the Eucharist. We are asked to ‘taste and see that the Lord is good’. It is an invitation for us to draw closer to God, to experience his love and the goodness surrounding him. The Eucharist is food for us for eternal life, it is an extraordinary personal encounter with Jesus, to help us realise our mission in our daily lives. Let us renew our faith, our trust in Christ which comes to us as our living bread. -Sunday Homily by Fr. Sikstus Bapa Atawolo, C.Ss.R. (11 August 2024)