18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) : 1st August 2021

People often have short and faulty memories. They might look back on their own past – even an unpleasant one – and wish that they were there again. Forgotten is the pain, struggle, misery but all that remains is a romanticised and idealised memory.

So, it was with the Israelites – they had been freed from their bitter slavery in Egypt, but now that they faced difficulty, they wanted to go back. On our life journey, we can never go back again but must always move forward.

Ephesians advises the same – do not live as you did before you knew Christ; do not go back to the past. Do not live as the society around you, but only in the way you know is pleasing to the Lord.

The crowd asked Jesus the question many have: what must we do to please God and do His will? Jesus gave a short, direct answer: believe in the one who was sent – himself. That is not as easy as it may seem, for belief in him means obeying his commandments, doing his will, and always walking his path. Jesus then revealed that he was the bread that comes down from heaven, the bread with which we must sustain ourselves daily. The words of the Lord and our relationship with him must be our food and sustenance. Unlike other sources, this will never fail or let us down. As Jesus said later in this gospel, we must always remain in him.

Lord, sustain and strengthen me.