1st Reading – 1 Kings 19:4-8
Elijah went a day’s journey into the desert,
until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it.
He prayed for death saying:
“This is enough, O LORD!
Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
He lay down and fell asleep under the broom tree,
but then an angel touched him and ordered him to get up and eat.
Elijah looked and there at his head was a hearth cake
and a jug of water.
After he ate and drank, he lay down again,
but the angel of the LORD came back a second time,
touched him, and ordered,
“Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!”
He got up, ate, and drank;
then strengthened by that food,
he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb.
Today’s first reading describes a pivotal moment in the life of the prophet Elijah.
He has just had a dramatic confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and is on the run for his life from the threat of Queen Jezebel. Elijah is the only prophet left (1 Kings 19:10); the emotional burden of being the sole defender of Yahweh against widespread apostasy weighs heavily on him.
The year is approximately 870 BC.
Elijah went a day’s journey into the desert, until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it. He prayed for death: “This is enough, O LORD! Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
Elijah has reached a point of exhaustion and deep despair. Despite his recent triumph, he feels his long campaign to turn Israel back to Yahweh has failed.
He has been no more successful in turning the people away from their sinful lives than his ancestors before him.
He lay down and fell asleep under the broom tree,
A broom tree is delicate and does not afford much shade.
The tree’s inability to provide sufficient shelter mirrors Elijah’s emotional state: overwhelmed, isolated, and seeking comfort from sources that fail to offer real relief.
The scene of a dejected prophet taking refuge under such an insubstantial tree would be comical if it weren’t so tragic; he is unsuccessful even at finding shade.
but then an angel touched him and ordered him to get up and eat.
Angels appear throughout biblical history to serve various purposes:
- to protect individuals (e.g. Lot in Genesis 19; Hagar and Ishmael in Genesis 21:17-19),
- to guide the people in the desert (Exodus 23:20-23), or
- to inform people of God’s plans (Judges 6:11-24, 13:1-25).
Now, an angel comes to Elijah’s aid.
He looked and there at his head was a hearth cake and a jug of water.
This food is seen in the Christian tradition as a figure of the Eucharist.
This isn’t the first time Elijah received miraculous rations; ravens brought him bread and meat in 1 Kings 17:6.
After he ate and drank, he lay down again, but the angel of the LORD came back a second time, touched him, and ordered, “Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!”
Notice that it requires two visits from God’s messenger before Elijah responds adequately. This could indicate the depth of his despair, or it might be the author’s way of underscoring the supernatural origin of what Elijah later accomplishes.
He got up, ate and drank; then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb.
The distance is approximately 300 miles, which could be traveled in much less than forty days. The number was probably used to echo the biblical motif of 40 as a period of preparation and transformation before arriving at Mount Horeb (Sinai), a place of divine revelation and encounter.
Horeb is the name the northern tribes used for Mount Sinai, the “mountain of God.” Since Elijah is a northern prophet, the use of this name is expected and appropriate. Horeb/Sinai was the scene of the burning bush (Exodus 3:1); the golden calf (Exodus 32), and the promulgation of the covenant (Deuteronomy 4:10; Exodus 19-24).
2nd Reading – Ephesians 4:30-5:5
Brothers and sisters:
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,
with which you were sealed for the day of redemption.
All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling
must be removed from you, along with all malice.
And be kind to one another, compassionate,
forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.
So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,
as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us
as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.
This is our fifth installment of a seven-week study of Ephesians. Today’s reading continues Paul’s instructions on how Christians should live in light of their new identity in Christ.
Trinitarian theology infuses this passage: As imitators of God, using the example of Christ, we are to live according to the Spirit.
Brothers and sisters: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,
Paul warns against actions that cause sorrow to the Holy Spirit. This demonstrates that the Spirit is a person, not an impersonal force, and deeply connected to the moral and spiritual life of believers.
with which you were sealed for the day of redemption.
The is a reference to baptism, the sacrament through which a believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit, marking their initiation into the Christian faith and the Church.
This seal makes an indelible mark on the soul, a mark of divine protection and a pledge of God’s promises. It affirms the believer’s membership in the Body of Christ and guides their spiritual journey.
“That we have been ‘sealed’ with the Holy Spirit means that both our spirit and our soul are impressed with God’s own seal, signifying that we belong to Him. By this we receive in ourselves that image and likeness in which we were created at the outset … You are sealed so that you may be preserved to the end. You may show that seal on the day of redemption, pure and unblemished and not damaged in any part. You are thereby ready to be counted with those who are redeemed” [Saint Jerome (436 AD), Commentaries On The Epistle To The Ephesians, 2,4,30].
All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you,
Paul lists behaviors that are contrary to Christian living, which are detrimental to communal harmony and personal growth:
- Bitterness is a disposition that cherishes resentment, clinging to former grievances.
- Fury is intense anger that can lead to violent outbursts and extreme reactions.
- Shouting refers to loud, confrontational communication, often in heated arguments or disputes.
- Reviling is speaking abusively or maliciously about someone, often with the intent to damage their reputation through slander.
Paul provides a similar list in Colossians 3:8.
along with all malice.
Malice refers to a deep-seated intention to do harm or to engage in malevolent actions. It is more a quality of evil rather than a specific vice.
“All this bitterness is not merely to be cleansed but to be put away altogether. Why should anyone try to contain it or hold it in? Why keep the beast of anger around so as to have to watch it constantly? It is possible to banish it, to expel it and drive it off to some mountain place” [Saint John Chrysostom (392-397 AD), Homilies On The Epistle To The Ephesians, 15,4,31].
And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.
In contrast, believers are encouraged to be kind (chrēstos) and treat others with the same grace and generosity shown to them by God. This reflects the character of Christ and demonstrates the transformative power of the gospel.
This is not a new idea. After Israel was redeemed from slavery in Egypt, they were instructed to show special regard and kindness to various groups, including aliens (foreigners), slaves, and the dispossessed, reflecting the same compassion and justice that God showed them. (Foreigners: Exodus 22:21, Leviticus 19:34, Deuteronomy 10:18-19; Slaves: Exodus 21:2-6, Deuteronomy 15:12-15; The Poor/Dispossessed: Leviticus 23:22, Deuteronomy 24:19-21.)
The same logic is found in Jesus’ commandment: “As I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34).
So be imitators of God, as beloved children,
Believers are called to imitate God, especially his love. This relationship is framed as that of dearly loved children, highlighting the intimacy and care in the divine relationship.
How can we imitate God? By pursuing holiness as he is holy and showing mercy as he is merciful. We are called to mirror his love and goodness in our lives, much like children reflect their parents.
Not only are we God’s children, but we are his beloved children, recipients of the most generous and boundless love ever known.
and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.
The call to love is grounded in Christ’s self-sacrifice, the ultimate act of love. In response, we must be willing, out of love, to live lives of self-sacrifice that are pleasing to God.
Paul’s imagery draws on the Jewish tradition of offering sacrifices, which were central to Old Testament worship. These sacrifices, including burnt offerings, were meant to atone for sin and express devotion to God. The pleasing aroma of these offerings symbolized God’s approval and satisfaction (e.g., Genesis 8:21).
“You spare your friends. He spared His enemies. … He suffered on His enemies’ behalf. This is the fragrant offering, the acceptable sacrifice. If you suffer for your enemies as a fragrant offering, you too become an acceptable sacrifice, even if you die. This is what it means to imitate God” [Saint John Chrysostom (392-397 AD), Homilies On The Epistle To The Ephesians, 17,4,32-5,2].
Gospel – John 6:41-51
The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said,
“I am the bread that came down from heaven,”
and they said,
“Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?
Do we not know his father and mother?
Then how can he say,
‘I have come down from heaven?’”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Stop murmuring among yourselves.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:
They shall all be taught by God.
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
This week we continue our study of Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse at Capernaum. In this passage, Jesus addresses the murmuring of the Jewish crowd who struggle to accept what he is telling them.
The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,”
In John’s gospel, “the Jews” refers to Jewish leaders or those opposed to Jesus, as opposed to all Jewish people.
The Israelites also grumbled toward Moses before they received manna in the desert (Exodus 16:2).
and they said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
The crowd questions how Jesus can claim divine origin given his ordinary background. He is a human being, just like them — how can he say he has come down from heaven?
Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop murmuring among yourselves.
Jesus responds sharply, directly calling out their grumbling.
He dismisses their protests by ignoring them and continuing to teach.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him,
Jesus underscores that coming to him is not merely a personal choice but requires divine intervention, as God the Father must draw individuals to Jesus. Therefore, their rejection of Jesus signifies a lack of divine calling.
The people who believe Jesus was sent by God already possess the grace needed for understanding, and no further miracles are necessary. Conversely, if they do not believe, no number of miracles will overcome their lack of grace.
and I will raise him on the last day.
Jesus escalates his claims.
Not only is he from heaven, sent by God, Jesus has divine authority and will personally oversee the resurrection at the end of time.
The Jewish expectation of such a resurrection is found in scripture, particularly in texts like Daniel 12:2, which describes a future resurrection where some will be raised to eternal life and others will be left to shame and everlasting contempt.
This claim by Jesus is radical because, in Jewish thought, resurrection was an act performed by God.
It is written in the prophets: ‘They shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Jesus quotes Isaiah 54:13 and reinterprets it to demonstrate his relationship to God.
Those who are taught by God, meaning those who understand and accept God’s teachings, will come to Jesus.
Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father.
Another radical claim by Jesus: Unlike anyone else, he has seen and knows the Father intimately because he comes from God.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
In Hebrew, Greek and Latin, the words are the same: “Amen, amen.” Amen means “truly,” “so be it,” “I do believe.”
The doubled amen is a solemn affirmation, an oath, signifying the importance of what is about to be said.
whoever believes has eternal life.
The solemn affirmation being sworn: Belief in Jesus is the key to eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Jesus returns to his teaching on the bread of life, repeating his statements because the audience doubts him.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.
Jesus contrasts himself with the manna given to the Israelites during their journey in the wilderness. Although both were sent by God for the benefit of the people, the manna only sustained them temporarily, it did not provide eternal life.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever;
This is the third time (see verses 35 and 48) that Jesus identifies himself as the Bread of Life. Jesus does not attempt to soften or alter this teaching; instead, he drives home the point and sets the stage for his next statement.
and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
This statement is both striking and ambiguous: Jesus tells us that the bread of life is his flesh. Note the future tense (“I will give”), indicating that this is something to be accomplished at a later time.
This is both Eucharistic language and a foreshadowing of Jesus’ sacrificial death.
Connections and Themes
- The Bread of Life Discourse. As we delve further into the Bread of Life discourse, the first reading shows the miraculous sustenance that God provides. Elijah, even though he felt like dying, walked forty days and nights, strengthened by bread from God.In the gospel reading, Jesus continues to make radical claims. His offer of eternal life can only be accepted in faith, which requires God’s grace. We are assured that those who are open to God will be taught by God, but that too requires faith. God asks of us a great deal.In the second reading, Paul teaches us to live in a manner worthy of this divine gift, emphasizing the call to righteousness and unity in our Christian journey.
- Sustenance in times of doubt. Elijah’s work as a prophet left him feeling a deep sense of despair and frustration, leading him to question his role and the faithfulness of God’s promises. Despite his desolation, God provided him with sustenance, showing that even when we are tempted to murmur or doubt, God remains faithful and continues to offer support and guidance.Similarly, the murmuring of the Jews against Jesus highlights their difficulty in accepting his profound claims about being the Bread of Life. Together, these readings call us to examine our own responses to divine promises and challenges, encouraging us to move beyond murmuring to a deeper trust in God’s enduring provision and revelation.
- Radical acceptance. Paul exhorts us to put away our murmuring, our bitterness, our despair, and choose the path of kindness, compassion, and faith. Jesus’ radical claims are answered by our acceptance of them, our radical amen.
Sunday Readings 