Nineteenth Sunday Ordinary Time: Gospel B 

The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven," and they said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" 

· What is the fundamental problem the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were having with Jesus? His identity! They saw him as a man but could not see him as one sent by God or equal to God as he claimed. Their human knowledge blinded and limited them to the mystery being revealed.

· What areas in our life that we have a hard time fully believing and living according to the Word of Jesus? What would be the hardness of our heart that blocks us from totally trusting in Jesus?

· Were in our life do we box Jesus in?

Jesus answered and said to them, "Stop murmuring among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: 'They shall all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father.

· How attentive do we listen to the Father as he draws us to Jesus?

· Jesus is referring to himself when he says “Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God.”

· As Jesus claims to have seen God what do you think went through the minds of the religious leaders? What is Jesus claiming without directly stating it?

 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

· The key word here is “believes.”  Does our faith lie on the words of Jesus or the person of Jesus? If we believe that Jesus is one with the Father, does it really matter if we don’t fully understand some of his teachings, but accept them because of who he is?

· How strong is your faith in Jesus?

 I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." 

· Do we understand Jesus’ word figuratively and symbolically or do we believe in them literally?

· And if we believe that Jesus meant in fact what he said, with what attitude do we approach the Eucharist?  With awe and wonder or with inattentiveness?

· Spend some time reflecting on Jesus’ words in this passage. Enter more fully into the mystery being revealed.

· What impact does this passage have on your life?