"Work for food that remains unto life eternal."

Liturgical readings

Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15
Psalm 78
Ephesians 4:17, 20-24
John 6:24-35

"Work for food that remains unto life eternal."

Those who benefitted from the miraculous feeding of Jesus went forth and followed Him. They may have wished to see another miracle and benefit again. They did not understand what the miracle meant, who Jesus is, and what His prophetic mission meant. Jesus then pointed out to them what was important. He elevated their understanding from the level of physical needs, to a level that was more important: "to work for food that remains unto life eternal." The crowds had difficulty understanding because they associate the miracle of Jesus with the miracle Yahweh had performed for their ancestors in the desert (the manna from heaven). It from this old understanding that Jesus redirected their faith to believe in Him now as the Bread of Life that comes down from heaven - their new Source of Life.


In life and work, many of us sometimes lose sight of what God wants us to understand. Like the people who were fed from Jesus' feeding miracle, we may set our focus on the food we work for, rather than look to the Source of that food. In this context of understanding, whenever food becomes difficult, like during calamities or economic difficulties, it help us greatly if we go back to the spiritual discipline needed to manage such a situation. Discipline helps us not to get lost in a time of adversity. Discipline in the spiritual life redirects our focus on what truly matters: the One thing necessary. If we ground ourselves in this truth, we obtain that strength of hope necessary to help us overcome any adversity. And once we overcome every trial and test of faith, our lives begin to be reordered to the Life that always matters: love of God, others and self, in the very context of our respective states of life.


This love has its source in the framework of the Church's teaching of Jesus as the Bread of Life. It anchors our souls well in a hope that will never disappoint. If we practice the discipline of beginning and ending each day of work with prayer (or a weekday Mass), it will help us understand the deeper purpose of our life and work. This has been a practice of the Church since ancient times. The following prayer from St. Ephraem (ca. 306-373 A.D.) reflects on what it means to "work for food that remains unto life eternal":


"The beginning of the sun's passage through the sky marks the beginning of the working day for us mortals: we ask You, Lord, to prepare in our minds a place where the day that knows no end may give its light. Grant that we may have within us this light, the Life of the resurrection, and that nothing may take away our delight in You."

"Gather up the crusts so that nothing will go to waste."

Liturgical readings

2 Kings 4:42-44
Psalm 145
Ephesians 4:1-6
John 6:1-15

"Gather up the crusts so that nothing will go to waste."

The passage from St. John's gospel speaks about the miracle of five loaves of bread and two fish. It was a miracle that fed five thousand men. In other gospel versions, there is an additional phrase added - "not counting women and children". But even without this additional phrase in John's gospel, common sense will tell us that often, people travel with those they know - like family and friends. So, not only did the men benefit, but also members of their family or some friends. But the point to all these is that everyone had their fill, and there were still left overs that filled twelve containers. Jesus was one who knew the value that food can give to people. So, he told his followers directly: "gather up the crusts that are left over so that nothing will go to waste." Jesus may have thought to distribute the leftovers to the people so they will have food when they travel back home.

All creation and human life is part of God's plan - a plan which is good and meant to serve His divine purpose.  All life comes from God and goes back to God. This mystery of life and material blessing we receive each day must be multiplied and then responsibly taken care of, "so that nothing will go to waste". This can be seen also in the Eucharist when the priest and the communion ministers gather the hosts that are left over. The Eucharistic celebration is a symbolic gesture of that feeding miracle of Christ. The hosts that are gathered by the priest and his communion ministers are placed in a few ciboria and then returned to the tabernacle. These hosts are meant to be distributed to the sick and the elderly in the parish community.

Everyone knows the value "left overs" in hard times. It is during such times that families train their children to eat only what they can consume and not to leave any food in their plate. Parents ought to discipline their children in this matter not only during hard times, but for all time. Food is a grace we receive from God. We bless our food and thank God after every meal. In some businesses, we see a few good employees who get the clean leftovers and give it to the poor in their neighborhood. These are miracles of sharing we need to reproduce in abundance. We are called to follow Jesus' example well: to manage whatever is available, work to produce as much good as we can, and if we do well, we can produce resources beyond our expectation. The combined gift of faith in God, in the abilities of others and in our own ability, help us see beyond what is available to what can be produced in abundance.

"(Jesus) began to teach them many things."

Jeremiah 23:1-6
Psalm 23
Ephesians 2:13-18
Mark 6:30-34

"(Jesus) began to teach them many things."

After the apostles worked hard in their preaching and mission, the Lord invited them to go to a deserted place to rest from their labors. The mission Jesus sent them too was fruitful, for many believed in their words and deeds. The success of their mission work made crowds continue to stay close to them - making it difficult for them to even rest and eat. So Jesus led them to a boat where they could go far. This did not deter the people who were eager to follow them. The people arrived at the place even before Jesus and the Twelve embarked from their boat. When the Lord Jesus saw the crowd, He was moved with compassion, for the people were "like sheep without a shepherd".

Since the time of Jesus, the missionary spirit and works of the Church had left us with many "landmarks". These basic "landmarks" are what we find in our Creed, the moral teachings of the Church, and the traditional prayers (both individual and Sacramental) that have guided us since baptism. As long as we believe, follow and continuously pray within these landmarks, we will be kept within the sheepfold of Christ, our Good Shepherd. But if we remove these landmarks from our way of life and follow other philosophies, trends or ways of thinking (especially anti-Catholic ones), we may end up losing our way in the world.

Our present times appears to be neglectful of these landmarks and the many faithful clergy who continue to teach them. However, humility and vigilance will help us follow the right path in these times. Humility predisposes our minds and our hearts to listen and to obey. Vigilance, on the other hand, keeps our minds and our hearts watchful against anything that can lead our souls astray. Combined with prayer and faithful reception of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, we will surely be guided by the Holy Spirit in the right path. And one other important truth to remember is to keep within the thinking and the practice of the Church (as St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Thomas of Aquinas counsel in their writings). All these will help us through the confusion, uncertainties and anxieties of the times.