Daily Inspiration

“Do not forget the LORD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery; who guided you through the vast and terrible desert with its saraph serpents and scorpions, its parched and waterless ground; who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock and fed you in the desert with manna, a food unknown to your fathers.” —Deuteronomy 8:14-16

“Brothers and sisters: The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.” —1 Corinthians 10:16-17

Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: “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.” The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.  This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”—John 6:51-58

Ever since the Desert Fathers participated in the Body and Blood of Christ, the Church still partakes of the One Loaf to this day. Jesus did not explain His words away as merely a symbol, nor did He reveal a hidden meaning as He did with the parables. Jesus knew this teaching was hard and that many would turn away. Yet He still proclaimed the Truth: His flesh is true food and His blood is true drink, and unless you eat His flesh and drink His blood, you do not have life in you.

Lord Jesus, your Bread of Life is still unknown to many. May the Father open the hearts of all His people that they may believe your saving words, partake in the One Loaf, and eat the Bread of the Angels. Amen.

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