The gospel today, that promises a bread that will satisfy every need that we have, is already suggested in the reading from the Book of Kings we read.
Elijah, the prophet, feels persecuted, in fact, by Jezebel and her husband King Ahad and cries from his heart: “Lord, I have had enough. Take my life.”
At the same time, an angel, comes twice, to wake Elijah, a feeds him a scone and drink for the journey ahead.
We all feel this anxiety at times. It can even be depression when our dreams and plans, or just our daily work, all seems to go wrong.
Even following the daily news and international events can affect our spirits. Church and political leadership is less than edifying. Entitlements are abused; the media act like scavengers and principle and morality come second to personal advantage.
K. Chesterton put it well: “We have no good comedy operas of late, because the real world has been more comic than any possible opera.”
This makes is skeptical about life. But this is the bread on which many people feed – and they are left hungry and parched.
Elijah found himself in precisely this position. He was forlorn.
But, “The Angel of the Lord touched him: Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you.” It was God who wants to feed our deepest needs and desires.
I remember being at a meeting of people, in an uncomfortably honest discussion. Many people complained of loneliness, although their lives were incredibly social and busy. They were always with people and always doing something. Yet they complained of loneliness.
While this seemed weird to me, it tallies with our experience that being around people and engaged with projects does not alleviate human loneliness.
The pain the Elijah feels may not be loneliness but neither is it made well by what life has to offer.
Elijah eats bread but the bread that, like manna, from Moses or not, fails to satisfy.
Like our bread: of entertainment, escape and indulgence, we are left dissatisfied.
In the gospel, it is Jesus, who emerges from humble beginnings, ordinary circumstances, that now claims to “come down from heaven”.
He proclaims a bread, food, that brings real life.
“I am the living bread come down from heaven….and the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
This is why we Catholics value this bread as Communion, a bread that satisfies every need, our ultimate need for life.
The Dutch have a great expression: Ons de weg = On the Way. (literally, a journey). That is where we all are.
We do our best at life but fall short of the full life that Jesus promises.
In recent years we have been asked to stand for Holy Communion to make it clear that we are wandering or journeying.
We are now supposedly more confident than ever in the human capacity to bring about human happiness.
But this could be human hubris and pompous nonsense.
Chesterton said: “All the exaggerations are right if they exaggerate the right thing.” And, “Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.”
Much of modern life is a fad and a fashion. It is not a bread for eternity but for the short term.
Jesus calls us into a world in which the bread of life, his life, will bring eternal life.
We are called to come to Jesus as the bread of life. A life that comes from God.
While we may well continue to bear with life; Jesus does offer us that life which comes from the Father.
It is often the case that we carry a story of tragedy in our hearts but one of comedy in our head.
That is how we must sometimes get through life. Strengthened by the Eucharist that keeps our eyes fixed on eternal life and the bread that fills all our needs. Give me that bread!
