With Opened Bible
This is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.
After crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites began to challenge their God. Murmurs continued, and they forgot the prowess of his divine power. They forgot the ten plagues of Egypt and the Rock of Horeb. Now, they were crying out for bread and meat, forgetting the years of suffering and despair they had experienced.
The God of gods decided to grant them an unexpected food unknown to men and the world: manna. The word manna comes from the Hebrew word "man hou" and means "what is it?" (Exodus 16:15). It was a grain with an aftertaste of honey. It was collected once a day to nourish oneself and stay alive. (Exodus 16:19) No leftovers were permitted. It risked spoiling and producing worms. (Exodus 16:20) This is the bread that was given in the desert. And this for forty years. (Exodus 16:35) The manna stopped falling when they received the first fruits of the earth in Canaan (Joshua 5:12)
In the Gospel of Saint in chapter 6, Jesus gave a speech on the bread of life by comparing the manna with the True Bread, which is the gift of his body and blood. The manna could not give life to those who ate it: "Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died." (John 6:49). But those who eat the Flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man will live eternally: "Whoever eats* my Flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.: (John 6:54)
This statement of Jesus divided his disciples. Many could not accept it: "Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" (John 6:57) The twelve believed Jesus is the True Bread of Life. They stayed with him. Peter, the first among his peers, declared: "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God." (John 68:69) The Eucharist is not a celebration of the past but rather a mysterious event that continues to strengthen the Church and its members. Unlike the manna that stopped falling when Israel entered Canaan, the Eucharist is celebrated until Christ returns: "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes." (1 Corinthians 11:26)
