Introduction to the Liturgy of the Day

Sunday after Sunday we are drawn here to worship God, to listen to God’s word, and to receive Christ in the Eucharist. Jesus reminds us in the Gospel that like all good things, this unconscious prompt that draws us together each Sunday comes from the Father. As we celebrate together today, let us thank God for the wonderful gift of faith, which animates our lives and drives us to undertake Christ’s mission.
 

Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word

Today we continue hearing Jesus explain to the disciples, the curious, and the skeptical that he is the bread of life, sent from heaven to give his body so that we may have life forever. First we hear Elijah, one of the greatest figures in the centuries before Christ, literally pray for death because of his desperate circumstances. He is saved by an angel of the Lord, who gives him what he needs to sustain him on his journey to God. May we today be nourished by God’s word so that we may be sustained on our own journeys.
 

Reflection

• In the first reading we hear how God provided food to Elijah at his darkest moment, when he prayed for death. He had fled to the desert because the king’s wife, Jezebel, had called for his execution. The kingdom had just suffered through drought and famine and Elijah was starving and despairing. Nourished by the food God sent, Elijah completed his journey to the mountain of God. In the Gospel, Jesus reveals himself as the bread of life come down from heaven, sent to sustain us on our journey to God.

• Elijah got up at once to eat and drink the food the angel brought, but then he immediately lay down again under the tree. The angel had to return and order him to eat enough to finish his journey. He needed a second nudge in order to go from just having his hunger satisfied to being nourished enough to sustain a lengthy journey. Our journey through life is winding and difficult. The mission we have been given is demanding. We too may need a second nudge to do more than just enable our journey, but to make it into a mission that will lead us to God.

• Our journeys are rarely smooth and easy. The hardships we encounter can be difficult to overcome, especially when we face them with anger and bitterness. We would be wise to heed Paul’s advice to the Ephesians, being kind, compassionate, and forgiving of those who make our lives difficult. “Live in love,” as Paul wrote, so that we can see the good in everyone we encounter (Ephesians 5:2).
 

Question of the Week

How does receiving Jesus in the Eucharist strengthen me on my journey?  When have I needed a second nudge to go on?

-from the pages of Pastoral Patterns