Living bread

What an awesome and accurate description of Christ by Christ himself. "I am the living bread that came down from heaven... the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world" (From today’s Gospel message, Jn. 6: 41 - 51).

Jesus became man to offer his love — life for us, for others, for all mankind. To be bread for others was his only reason for living and dying. And this, too, is the meaning of our life, if we choose to be his disciples. "Disciples" here does not mean we must all be baptized Christians. It means an interfaith commitment to that universal, cosmic Christ of love, justice, and peace.

"There is a Jewish folktale about a man named Shalom Aleichem, one of the accursed of the earth. He lost his wife, his children abandoned him, his house burned down, his job disappeared – everything he touched turned to dust. Yet through it all, Shalom kept returning good for evil everywhere he could until the day he died.

"When the angels heard that Shalom was arriving at heaven’s gate, they hurried to greet him. Even God himself was there, so great was this man’s fame for goodness and humility. It was the custom in heaven that every newcomer was interrogated by a prosecuting angel, to assure that all sins on earth had been atoned for. But when Shalom appeared before him, the prosecuting angel arose, and for the first time in the memory of heaven, said: ‘There are no charges! Then the angel for the defense rose and spoke eloquently and movingly about the hardships this man had endured and recounted how in all the difficult circumstances of his life Shalom had remained true to himself and returned good for evil.

"When the angel had finished, God said, ‘Not since our beloved Job have we heard of a life such as this one.’ And then, turning to Shalom, the Lord said, ‘Ask, Shalom, and it shall be given to you.’

"The old man raised his eyes to God and said, ‘Well, if I could start everyday with a hot buttered roll...’

"The angels and even God himself wept at the beauty of the simplicity and preciousness of his humble request." (From "Connections" for August 2006).

What about you – do you also want to be bread for others? But you have to be willing to be broken and shared for the nourishment of others. As I have often said:

Your bread could literally be food for your family that you choose to share with those who need it even more.

Your bread could be your monthly budget, so that the meager salaries of your household help would be more, and your luxuries less and less.

Your bread could be the karinyo and personal attention that your spouse needs which you habitually fail to give.

Your bread could be the listening heart that your children keep claiming they do not get from you.

Your bread could be your professional time and services given to those who need you but cannot afford you.

Your bread could be the big risk you take in investing your money in a business that would be the bread and butter of a hundred families.

Your bread could be the profits of your company – shared with your employees in a more proportionate way, beyond the so-called minimum wage law.

Your bread could be your land that belongs to God and must be shared with God’s people who have no place they can call their home.

Your bread could be your courageous involvement in socio-economic issues that concern the welfare of our disadvantaged countrymen.

This bread could be your unconditional love in courageously bringing the message of Jesus to those who are on the road toward their own Emmaus – searching for meaning in life.

Your bread could be your personal efforts and ceaseless prayers to put an end to the Godless violent wars in the Middle East and the ruthless killings in our own country.

Yes. Your bread broken and shared until you have no more. When you finally learn to break and share your bread this way, your supply will inevitably run out someday. But replacement will surely come. Only this time, it will be eternal bread!

Amen.