Dear People of God,

There is an old story of a woman who made artificial fruits so perfectly that people could not tell them from the real fruit. But she had some critics who would find fault with the shape of the fruit, the color, and other things. One day as the critics stood before a table on which she had placed several pieces of fruit, they criticized particularly one apple. "It looked too artificial," they said. When they had finished, the woman picked up the apple, cut it in half, and began to eat it. It was a real apple.

This week's Gospel describes how the Jews criticized Jesus and murmured among themselves. They rebelled against Him and the claims implied in His words: "I am the bread that came down from heaven." They felt His claims were outrageous. After all, Jesus was well known to them. He grew up in Nazareth. He was a carpenter, son of Mary. Yet, these complainers were a bit stuck. Jesus was performing signs and wonders. Nevertheless, they would not cross over a barrier of their own making, and embrace Jesus.

In the face of such opposition, Jesus emphatically repeated what He had said. He took the thought further by saying, "Whoever eats this bread will live for ever." Bread and eating obviously go together. What good does bread do if we don't partake or eat of it. To eat the Living Bread is to appropriate Christ as one's life. Some of the people may not have liked what Jesus said, or how He said it, but that didn't matter. What did matter is the Truth. Jesus is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

Once, I came across a health-food restaurant, with a billboard proclaiming, "Eat here and live a long life!" The barbecue pit next door posted its response: "Eat here and die happy!" Dear friends, when it comes to Jesus, both are right. We are going to die happy and live a life eternal.

St. Augustine said, "Too late I loved you, O Beauty of ancient days, yet ever new; Too late, I loved you. And Lo you were within, and I abroad searching for you." Are we nourishing our soul on the Bread of Eternal Life? Let us take Jesus into our innermost being so that there will be no doubt who we follow and who we desire to be.

May God bless us all,
Father Lawrence