"We always think of this Bread of Life discourse as centred on the Eucharist, but the first part of it is centred on the bread of life as the revelation of God. In a similar way, the Liturgy of the Word which proclaims the revelation of God through Scripture is the first part of the Mass. In this discourse Jesus is following the pattern of Jewish sermons with a detailed commentary upon the text from Exodus: ‘Bread from heaven he gave them to eat’. Then half-way through the sermon comes a quotation from the prophets, a sort of half-time booster quote. This quotation from Isaiah appears in today’s gospel reading: ‘They will all be taught by God’. The Lord will sow in our hearts individually the knowledge of himself, so that each of us has a personal bond with God which is cultivated by prayer. If we listen to the Father and learn from him, we come to Jesus, who has seen the Father. So in this reading the emphasis is on listening, seeing, believing the revelation of the Father. Faith is no abstract set of truths but a personal knowing, just as we know those we love on earth. Only at the end of today’s reading do we move on to the topic of eating the Bread of Life. Question for everyone: How and where do you listen to what God has to say to you?"
Dom Henry Wansbrough OSB
Dom Henry Wansbrough OSB
RSS Feed