Scripture:
Reflection:
Eternal Life
Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you. JN 6:27
They tell the story of the couple who were driving down the freeway at 75 MPH when the wife said to her husband “I think we are lost.” Her husband said, “That’s OK we are making great time!” Is this not the story of so many of us today! We are so very busy but spend little time considering where we are going and hurrying to get there.
Today’s Gospel has Jesus telling us we are heading for eternal life. So many of our concerns have little or no relation to the unending life Jesus promises us. “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life.” The New Testament talks about the next life around 300 times!
When Jesus come many, even religious people, had no concept of the next life. Many thoughts at most the next life was very foggy. “Who praises You among the dead (In Sheol who will give You praise)? Ps 5:5 Sheol means underworld (place to which people descend at death):—Sheol is used 66 times in OT.
Many of the Jewish People to whom Jesus preached believed in the next life like the Pharisees. But even to this day many orthodox have serious doubts about the resurrection of the dead. So when Jesus taught He really emphasized “Eternal Life” by parables of Old Farmer (Lk12:16) and Last Judgement etc.
Jesus reassured us so many times to live in such a way that we have endless life ahead of us! One of the biggest mistakes we can make on this earth is to think that death is the end of our existence! It is the door of our eternal life with Jesus!
- “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
- “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
- “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P. preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.