The bread of heaven

MoreCoffee

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(Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15)
[2] And the entire congregation of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. [3] And the sons of Israel said to them: “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat around bowls of meat and ate bread until filled. Why have you led us away, into this desert, so that you might kill the entire multitude with famine?” [4] Then the Lord said to Moses: “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Let the people go out and collect what is sufficient for each day, so that I may test them, as to whether or not they will walk in my law. ... [12] “I have heard the murmuring of the sons of Israel. Say to them: ‘In the evening, you will eat flesh, and in the morning, you will be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ” [13] Therefore, it happened in the evening: quails, rising up, covered the camp. Likewise, in the morning, a dew lay all around the camp. [14] And when it had covered the face of the earth, it appeared, in the wilderness, small and as if crushed with a pestle, similar to hoar-frost on the ground. [15] When the sons of Israel had seen it, they said one to another: “Manhu?” which means “What is this?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them: “This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

[3] We have heard and known such great things, as our fathers have described to us. [4] These things have not been hidden from their sons in any generation: declaring the praises of the Lord, and his virtues, and the wonders that he has done.
(Psalms 77:3-4)
[23] And he commanded the clouds from above, and he opened the doors of heaven. [24] And he rained down manna upon them to eat, and he gave them the bread of heaven. [25] Man ate the bread of Angels. He sent them provisions in abundance.
(Psalms 77:23-25)
And he led them to the mountain of his sanctification: the mountain that his right hand had acquired. And he cast out the Gentiles before their face. And he divided their land by lot to them, with a line of distribution. (Psalms 77:54)

(John 6:24-35)
[24] Therefore, when the crowd had seen that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they climbed into the small boats, and they went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. [25] And when they had found him across 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 signs, but because you have eaten from the bread and were satisfied. [27] Do not work for food that perishes, but for that which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.” [28] Therefore, they said to him, “What should we do, so that we may labour in the works of God?” [29] Jesus responded and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he sent.” [30] And so they said to him: “Then what sign will you do, so that we may see it and believe in you? What will you work? [31] Our fathers ate manna in the desert, just as it has been written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” [32] Therefore, Jesus said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, Moses did not give you bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. [33] For the bread of God is he who descends from heaven and gives life to the world.” [34] And so they said to him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” [35] Then Jesus said to them: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

The above passages relate one to another. They talk about the bread of haven. In the first two the literal reference appears to be the manna that fell from the air into the camp of the Israelite people as they wandered in the wilderness. The last passage shifts the reference to Jesus Christ; he is the bread of heaven of which the manna was merely a type. Now Christians receive the bread of heaven and it is not bread falling from the sky nor bread baked in ovens, baked by people, it is the man Jesus Christ who gives his life the the world and his flesh & blood as food & drink to the faithful.

This is the holy Eucharist, the bread and wine for which the people of God give thanks (Eucharist) and from which the Lord promised that they would receive life and the forgiveness of sins.
 
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