John 6: 51-58
“For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”
I’ve heard these words of Jesus many times, and in good faith, I accept them as true, but sometimes it’s good to stop and slowly digest them…literally!
As a kid, I used to tell my mom to make me some REAL food when she tried to make me eat things like lima beans and liver. “Real” food for this ten- year- old “junkie” was more like cookies, coke and pizza. It was “feel-good” food I enjoyed with friends, but it didn’t truly nourish me.
I decided to ask Google about what is defined as “true food.” This is what Google had to say:
“Any food to be defined as “True Food“, must have the following characteristics. Naturally grown produce that can satisfy the hunger of the general population. Rich in natural nutrients which can help in building immunity, fostering growth and stamina & boosting energy.”
Source: https://sudharmakrishi.com/true-food
“Feasting” on Jesus, our Bread of Life, satisfies the hungers of the world: the hunger for love, for freedom, for acceptance. Jesus is the “natural” gift of the Father, present at the moment of creation, in whom and through whom everything and everyone has life and sustenance. Jesus’ union with the Father and the Holy Spirit, in the mystery of the Trinity, is what we ingest when we taste of the Living Bread. This holy nourishment keeps us immune to sin, fosters our growth in communion with others and gives us the energy, strength and stamina to push through our times of suffering, sorrow and struggle because it is food for eternal life!
I’m still a bit of a food junkie, but I know deep down what is the TRUE food and drink that I need to live this life to the fullest, and to make of my life a feasting table for others.
Sr. Michele Vincent Fisher
