Food for Eternal Life

Monday of the Third Week of Easter

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Gospel of John 6:22-29

Jesus answered them and said,

“Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”

All I can think about is food after reading today's gospel passage!

Food for nourishment On Sunday, my mother took me out to eat for a belated birthday lunch.  We went to a local Cheddar's restaurant.  I feasted on salmon with a loaded baked-potato, broccoli, butter croissants, and a huge monster cookie for dessert. (Oh, I must not forget the glass of Pinot Grigio.) I'm not used to eating that much food in one sitting.  Normally I eat small, vegetarian meals with occasional fish.  Eating fish makes me think of Our Lord cooking fish for his apostles.  However, when I think of regular meat bloody animal sacrifices from the Old Testament come to mind.  Yuck!  Those images pretty much stopped any cravings for a steak, ham, lamb chops, or a greasy hamburger.  I haven't eaten a "real" hamburger in 8 years!!

Tasty zucchini!  For lunch today, I ventured over to Jason's Deli for a zucchini grilled sandwich.  While waiting for my to-go order, I noticed  a tall, attractive blonde woman wearing a black and white dress.  As she walked with her tray of leftovers toward the exit, the young man taking orders dropped his a ball point pen and an unopened breathe mint right at her feet.  She just kept walking only hesitating a second but continuing on her merry way.  The young man look at her with an annoyed look. Obviously, he needed to walk all away around the counter to pick up his pen. So, I walked over, grabbed the pen and breathe mint, and gave it to the guy.  He exclaimed, "Thank-you, Miss!" (I loved that he called me a "Miss" instead of a "Ma'am!")  

My good deed for the day may have not been much, but it sure made my zucchini grill sandwich extra tasty!  I figured that woman is probably unaware of a lot of things around her, including a young boy trying to get her attention.  

Food for eternal life  When it comes to food, we need to eat enough to maintain physical strength and nourishment.  Don't over-eat or under-eat.  Choose foods that are healthy.  Our Lord wants us to take care of our bodies both physically as well as spiritually.  Receiving holy communion regularly is essential for feeding our spiritual hunger.  In essence, the Lord is calling us to dine with him.  His spiritual food is nutritious, good tasting, and healthy for the soul!  It gives us the energy to handle our burdens and help those in need.


-J.