Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven, “and they said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop murmuring among yourselves.  No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.  Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father.  Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.  I am the bread of life.  Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.  I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (John 6:  41 – 51)

Whenever I read this gospel, I always think of the song I Am the Bread of Life by Suzanne Toolan.  As I reflected on the words today, I was very much reminded of the number of times I have sung this song.  Take some time today and reflect on the words and remember the number of times you have heard it.  May we always remember that we do hunger for Jesus and allow him to fill our hearts and needs.

I Am the Bread Of Life

I am the Bread of life, you who comes to me shall not hunger, you who believes in me shall not thirst.   No one can come to me unless the Father draw him.

            And I will raise you up, and I will raise you up,  and I will raise you up on the last day.

The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world, and he who eats of this bread, He shall live forever, He shall live forever.

Unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink of His blood, and drink of His blood, You shall not have life within you.

I am the Resurrection, I am the Life, he who believes in me even if he die, he shall live forever.

Yes, Lord, we believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God who has come into the world.

Suzanne Toolan