Sustenance

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Sustenance

Eternal   Nourishment

Eat   Abide   Remain

Living Bread From Heaven

Salvation

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   John 6:51

Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven.

If you eat this bread, you will have sustenance forever.

The bread that I will nourish you with is my very flesh for the salvation of the world."

Reflection

We need to eat. We need sustenance. Our bodies need the nourishment and the energy to survive.

We know how certain foods can affect us. Too much sugar is no good for us. We have all seen the effects of too much sugar in children. Try getting a young child to sleep at night if they have had too many deserts!

Jesus knows that we need sustenance for our spiritual journey. We can be misled and deceived. There are false prophets who want us to follow them and not to listen to Jesus. We see this all the time from Jonestown to Waco. There are leaders who want to have power and control over others.

Jesus promises us eternal nourishment. He does not want to feed us for a little time and then abandon us. He wants to nourish us always. He knows that we will need that strength to survive the many challenges that will face us every day.

If we eat at the table of Jesus, He will feed us. He does this because He wants to abide with us and remain always in our lives. 

It is hard for us to take this in. The God who created the whole world wants to be with us and actually delights in us. We can tend to think that we are unimportant; however, when we truly hear what Jesus is saying, we can see how special we are in the heart of God.

Jesus tells us that He wants to give us His very self. He holds nothing back. It is living bread that Jesus wants to share with us because Jesus wants us to be fully alive---to completely enjoy life.

That sustenance is not given for us alone. It is a nourishment that leads to salvation. Jesus wants us to share this gift of salvation with each person we meet. It is living bread for all. We should not be selfish and just keep it to ourselves.

We are sustained and nourished by Jesus.

Time now to share that gift with all by our simple acts of love each day. Each time we make that thoughtful telephone call, write a kind note, share food with someone who is hungry we are bringing that Bread of Life to someone else!

1. Which foods affect you in a positive way?

2. Which foods upset you?

3. Have you ever been deceived by a false prophet?

4. How has Jesus sustained you in your life?

5. Do you feel that you are special in the heart of God?

6. How have you shared the Bread of Life with others?

7. How does Kathy's photo sustain you?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John McNamara)