5/5/2025 (Monday) Today’s Gospel reading: John 6:22-29

[After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.]
22 The next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea, saw that there was no other ship there but one, and that Jesus had not entered into the ship with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.
23 But other ships came in from Tiberias; nigh unto the place where they had eaten the bread, the Lord giving thanks.
24 When therefore the multitude saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they got into the ships, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
26 Jesus answered them and said: Amen, amen I say to you, you seek me, not because you have seen miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
27 Labour not for the meat which perishes, but for that which endures unto life everlasting, which the Son of man will give you. For him has God, the Father, sealed.
28 They said therefore unto him: What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said to them: This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.

5/5/2025 (Monday) Today’s Gospel reflection / sermon / homily: John 6:22-29

The Gospel reading above challenges our priorities and invites us to something deeper than mere physical satisfaction. Having witnessed the miraculous feeding of five thousand, people seek out Jesus, not because of who He is, but because of what He can do for them. They are hungry again. They want more bread.

And yet, Jesus, knowing their hearts, lovingly but firmly redirects them: “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”

These words are as relevant now as they were two thousand years ago. In our modern world, it’s easy to be consumed by the daily grind such as chasing careers, wealth, recognition, and security. We often invest our energy into what we can see, taste, or spend, forgetting that all these things, as good as they may seem, are temporary. They spoil. They fade. They leave us longing for more.

Jesus’ challenge to the crowd is a challenge to us: What are you really working for? What are you truly hungry for?

You see, the people thought they needed more bread, more miracles, more signs. But what they really needed, what we all need, is a relationship with the One who is the Bread of Life. Jesus doesn’t condemn them for seeking; instead, He uses their hunger to point them toward something greater: a hunger of the soul that only He can satisfy.

When we hunger for purpose, when we long for peace, when we crave a love that doesn’t fade with time or failure, Jesus offers Himself. He tells us to “believe in the one He has sent.” That is the “work” God requires, not endless striving or religious performance, but belief, Trust, and Faith.

Faith in Christ changes the kind of hunger that drives our lives. It lifts our eyes from the temporary to the eternal. It teaches us that the richest food is not found in material success or fleeting pleasure, but in abiding in the love of God. This is food that does not spoil. This is nourishment that endures.

Consider how exhausting it is to constantly chase after the next thing including a promotion, approval, security. And yet, when we come to Jesus, He gives freely. We don’t earn this bread. We receive it. It is the gift of eternal life. And in receiving Him, we find rest, purpose, and an identity that can never be taken away.

So today, let this passage be a wake-up call, not one of guilt, but of grace. Jesus invites us to stop striving for that which perishes and start investing in what matters most: our relationship with Him. He sees the deeper hunger behind every worldly pursuit and says, “Come to Me. I am the Bread that will truly satisfy.”

Don’t settle for crumbs when the feast of heaven is offered. Let your work be belief. Let your striving become trust. Let your hunger lead you not to what is temporary, but to the eternal Bread of Life.

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