First Reading: 1 Kings 19:3-8 (MSG)
3-5 When Elijah saw how things were, he ran for dear life to Beersheba, far in the south of Judah. He left his young servant there and then went on into the desert another day’s journey. He came to a lone broom bush and collapsed in its shade, wanting in the worst way to be done with it all—to just die: “Enough of this, God! Take my life—I’m ready to join my ancestors in the grave!” Exhausted, he fell asleep under the lone broom bush.
Suddenly an angel shook him awake and said, “Get up and eat!”
6 He looked around and, to his surprise, right by his head were a loaf of bread baked on some coals and a jug of water. He ate the meal and went back to sleep.
7 The angel of God came back, shook him awake again, and said, “Get up and eat some more—you’ve got a long journey ahead of you.”
8-9 He got up, ate and drank his fill, and set out. Nourished by that meal, he walked forty days and nights, all the way to the mountain of God, to Horeb. When he got there, he crawled into a cave and went to sleep.
Gospel Reading: John 6:35, 41-51 (The Inclusive Bible)
35 Jesus explained to them, “I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry; no one who believes in me will be thirsty.
41 The Temple authorities started to grumble in protest because Jesus claimed, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They kept saying, “Isn’t this Jesus, son of Mary and Joseph? Don’t we know his mother and father? How can he claim to have come down from heaven?
43 “Stop your grumbling,” Jesus told them.
44 “No one can come to me unless drawn by Abba God, who sent me – and those I will raise up on the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard God’s word and has learned from it comes to me.
46 Not that anyone has seen Abba God – only the one who is from God has seen Abba God.
47 The truth of the matter is, those who believe have eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, and if you eat it you’ll never die. 51 I myself am the living bread come down from heaven. If any eat this bread, they will live forever; the bread I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
