Friends,
This Sunday’s readings show God’s loving kindness and care for us, calling us to live with love.
The Psalmist invites us to ’Taste and see that the Lord is good.’ We, too, can sing our praises to the Lord, who always hears when we call out to him and frees us from our fears.
In the First Reading, God hears Elijah as he cries out, despondent and wanting to give up. God reaches out to him through an angel, who offers food and water and encourages him to eat. This sustains Elijah, giving him the strength to continue his journey.
Similarly, Jesus desires to sustain us in our journey. In the Gospel, he reveals himself to the complaining Jews – and to us – as the ‘bread of life.’ To those who are willing to be drawn to him, Jesus desires to be our comfort, our nourishment, our joy, and our strength. He feeds us through our faith and our trust in him. The bread that he offers, his own body and way of life, gives life forever.
St. Paul, in the Second Reading, reminds us that we are beloved children of God and urges us to follow Christ’s example of being kind and compassionate, readily showing forgiveness to one another.
Let’s pray always to be open to God’s tender care and to savor the goodness he gives in our lives.
Joy and peace.
