Bread has been a staple food of many cultures’ diets for over 10,000 years in various flavors, shapes, and sizes. It is one of the oldest prepared foods, and some 60% of the world’s population continues to eat it daily.

During Jesus’ time, bread, made from wheat or barley, was a staple in the typical diet in the first-century Greco-Roman world. It was eaten at every meal, and those gathered at a table would welcome and give thanks to God not only for their food but for providing for all their needs. The sharing of meals was a sacred time to be in fellowship with one another, unified in God’s presence.

It is not surprising, then, that Jesus would reveal himself to his disciples as being their saving bread of life, coming down from heaven, a gift of self for the life of the world. He utilized their understanding of a simple yet sacred act of breaking bread together to offer his promise that whoever believed in him as bread for the world would have eternal life.

The Resurrected Lord offers the same promise to us. He invites us to share in the breaking of bread at every Eucharistic meal. He assures us that whoever believes and eats of his Flesh will live forever. May we respond with a resolute “Amen!”

Let Us Pray:

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, you have promised eternal life to those who believe. Help us to strengthen our trust in you. May we truly accept that you are our bread of life, our Savior and that we will live forever by partaking in your Flesh. And then, upon consuming you, may we live our lives as if we truly do believe.