A Longing Satisfied

Gospel Reflection for Tuesday, May 6th, 2025 - John 6:30-35

How often do we long for signs? For something visible, tangible, measurable. Like the crowd in today’s Gospel reading, we want our needs met - now. We want our prayers answered neatly and quickly.

And why do we long for these signs? Because they represent a presence. Not just nourishment in the moment, but an abiding presence, a balm, and a satisfaction for a hunger that lingers on despite our every effort to fill it on our own.

In the Gospel today, a crowd is longing as we do today. They are impatiently asking for signs, for nourishment, for answers. They even recall scripture by stating “Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

Jesus responds by shifting their gaze. He tells them “It was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

Then Jesus invites them deeper - not to bread that fills a belly for a day but Bread that fills a soul for eternity.

He states “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Jesus is offering Himself up as satisfaction for that longing. He offers His never ending presence to us as the Bread of Life come down from heaven so that our souls will never hunger, never thirst. A sign, a mystery, a presence abiding with us always.

Today’s Gospel is a reminder and an invitation to stop chasing temporary things that leave us empty, starving, longing desperately but never satisfied. To instead turn to the One who is inexhaustible. Who quenches our every thirst and fills our every hunger.

In the Eucharist, in His Word, in moments of silence and surrender, Jesus offers us not what we want but what we truly need: Himself.

The crowd said to Jesus:
“What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?
What can you do?
Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:

He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”

So Jesus said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.”

So they said to Jesus,
“Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”