The Gospel for this Sunday shows us that there are two types of hunger: physical hunger and spiritual hunger. Most of the time, we focus on nourishing our physical hunger. This makes us pay much attention to food, wealth, love, truth, and everything that we can find while we are here on earth. We see for ourselves how competitive and materialistic we are and this further pushes us to fulfill our passing needs and selfish desires then forget about those that truly last. We are hungry for things that satisfy only our body and we forget to satisfy the needs of our soul. We turn to material things to feed our soul rather than to seek the nourishment that comes with the true bread from heaven.

In 2008, I became a member of the Altar Servers' group in our parish. Serving every Sunday became a routine for me for 13 years. Serving at the Altar of the Lord became a daily bread for me, such that whenever I could not serve, I felt like something is missing. As a young person then, the mass became my refuge. Every mass becomes a moment and place where I find spiritual nourishment and peace.

This further challenged me to deepen my relationship and commitment to God. The Gospel reminds me that as I nourish my physical hunger, let me not forget to nourish also my spiritual hunger. Only Jesus can satisfy the spiritual hunger and thirst of my soul. He is the bread of life, whoever comes to Him will never be hungry and whoever believes in Him will never be thirsty.

By: Sem. Nico Jay Z. del Mundo

Today's Gospel

Jn 6:24-35

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,
they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
"Rabbi, when did you get here?"
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."
So they said to him,
"What can we do to accomplish the works of God?"
Jesus answered and said to them,
"This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent."
So they said to him,
"What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?
What can you do?
Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:
He gave them bread from heaven to eat."
So Jesus said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world."

So they said to him,
"Sir, give us this bread always."
Jesus said to them,
"I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst."