Gospel Reflection from Notre Dame

Like many, I am immediately drawn to the end of this gospel where Jesus describes himself as the “bread of life.”

When I prayed the Lord’s Prayer growing up, I remember thinking the line “give us this day our daily bread” was a bit demanding. Borderline rude, really. I grew up in a household where manners were drilled into us, and telling God almighty to provide me with food every day felt weird. There wasn’t even a please at the end! But when we consider that Jesus is the bread of life, it gives a deeper meaning to this request.

Today’s gospel reminds us in simple terms that Christ is all we need, that we should be seeking sustenance from God daily. We can’t live without it. We should crave God the way we hunger for food.

Like the disciples in this passage, let us pursue God. This week I moved to Los Angeles without a job hoping to pursue a career in television writing. Today I realize I should be devoting myself fully to my faith with the same fervor I have committed to my worldly ambitions. I want to find myself asking more, “What can I do TODAY to accomplish the works of God?”