John 6: 24 - 35

Sunday’s gospel contains one of the famous ‘I am’ statements. Jesus proclaimed to his followers that “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst.” (John 6:35) For thousands of years, bread has been a staple part of the human diet in many cultures. It is no accident that the image of Jesus as bread makes such a significant appearance in the gospel of John. For the Jews, like other Ancient Near Eastern cultures, bread was a vital mainstay of their diet. In the Bible, the word ‘bread’ often simply means all food – it was that important! For many, regular access to bread did equate to life. Bread also played a crucial role in religious practices, especially the Passover meal.

When we think about the Eucharist, Christ is present in many forms: in the people gathered; in the celebrating priest; in the Word proclaimed; and in the consecrated bread and wine – the Body and Blood of Christ. In relation to receiving Christ through the reception of communion, St Augustine wrote, ‘Be what you see, and receive what you are.’ We not only receive the Body of Christ through Eucharist, we are called to be the Body of Christ because of what we have received; and we receive the Body of Christ because we are already part of the Body of Christ.