3rd Tuesday of Easter
Acts 7: 51 – 8: 1; Ps 31; John 6: 30 – 35
In His public ministry Jesus had performed a number of signs, all of which proclaimed His identity, revealed His mission, His being sent by the Father. As far as some of the people were concerned, the many signs were never enough. So they request, they beg, “Give us some more signs!” One might question them: “How many more signs will you need in order to come to belief?” “What do you see as necessary?”
Jesus does not grant their request – He gives no signs, performs no miracles just because they want more; rather the Lord speaks of Himself as the sign: “I Myself am the Bread of Life” – in that self-revelation Jesus describes Himself, His mystery. His identity and in a very personal way: “I Myself am the Bread of Life”. This is how He comes to us – each of us individually – as Bread of Life – our nourishment, our sustenance, our food for Eternal Life, the eternity of relationship with Him, the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus might have said, “I Myself am the Bread of Life” for you – “I Myself am the Bread of Life” for your life – for your relationship with Me, the relationship that will never come to an end – that will advance from glory to glory.
And so we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” – “Lord, give us Yourself and in turn, we give ourselves to You – as Stephen the first martyr did, as Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles will faithfully do until his martyrdom.
In Psalm 31, the responsorial psalm, we prayed, “Into Your hands, I commend my spirit” – “I commend my being, my whole life” – how else, Lord, can You be the Bread of my life with Your whole life?
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