Today's Gospel in Art - I am the bread of life

Bread of Life, by Carol Pascale, 2015 © Carol Pascal artist

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 1st August 2021 - John 6:24-35

When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into boats and crossed to Capernaum to look for Jesus. When they found him on the other side, they said to him, 'Rabbi, when did you come here?'

Jesus answered:

'I tell you most solemnly,

you are not looking for me because you have seen the signs

but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat.

Do not work for food that cannot last,

but work for food that endures to eternal life,

the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you,

for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal.'

Then they said to him, 'What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?' Jesus gave them this answer, 'This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.' So they said, 'What sign will you give to show us that we should believe in you? What work will you do? Our fathers had manna to eat in the desert; as scripture says: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' Jesus answered:

'I tell you most solemnly,

it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven,

it is my Father who gives you the bread from heaven,

the true bread;

for the bread of God

is that which comes down from heaven

and gives life to the world.'

'Sir,' they said 'give us that bread always.' Jesus answered:

'I am the bread of life.

He who comes to me will never be hungry;

he who believes in me will never thirst.'

Reflection on the Painting

Our painting today by Carol Pascal depicts the moment of transubstantiation during the consecration of the bread and wine. It was was painted in honour of Pope Francis' visit to the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. The Holy Father blessed this image. We see the priest's hands holding the bread at the point of being transformed into the body of Christ. His blood pouring out of His Sacred Heart fills the chalice.

It is an effective image, attempting to depict an unpaintable mystery. Yesterday we discussed the value of asking questions about our faith. Today's beautiful Gospel reading starts with a simple question 'Rabbi, when did you come here?' Asking the right question, such as today's one, is key for getting to the heart of the matter. The answer Jesus gives isn't a straight reply to the question. Jesus knew what was really in their hearts and the doubts they had. So Jesus redirected His answer to address what went on in their hearts and not what was spoken on their lips. Because they focused wrongly on the temporary 'bread' of the manna in the desert, Jesus redirected them toward the 'eternal' bread… Jesus Himself.

We have to remember that in Jesus' day, diets were simple. Bread was the very food that kept people alive. Nowadays bread is just one of many different ways to nourish ourselves, but in Jesus' time, bread was the main food. So Jesus saying that He is 'the bread of life', meant for the listeners that if they accepted his love and friendship, they would be nourished by Him… and become more alive.

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/885
Christian Art - www.christian.art