The readings today make it clear that God nourishes and sustains us, but the food God gives us is to strengthen us to do God’s work.

One common reason people give for coming to church is to get help in “being a better person.” Just being in church won’t make us a true Christian any more than sitting idly in a library will make us smart and wise.

A common error in the early phase of the spiritual life is to imagine that religion is predominantly a spiritual matter. Spirituality is therefore approached as a sort of neatening-up-of-the-soul, getting our metaphysical affairs in order.

Most shopping malls now have large food courts with a number of different styles of food. Certain streets feature one fast food restaurant after another. Some neighborhoods become noted for their upscale restaurants.

We were taking in the sites of midtown Manhattan, chomping on hot pretzels, when a haggard, down-on-her luck woman walked up to my sister and cried, “Help me, please. I’m hungry.” Without hesitation, my sister handed the woman her pretzel.

I’m sure I was being overdramatic. I was a teenager, after all, and the ups and downs of a teenager’s life feel very dramatic, indeed. I had been volunteering my summer to work at a camp for orphans. It was more demanding than I expected.

Our faith is a gift from our loving God. With hearts and minds shaped by this faith, we call upon our God.

I am the bread of life. Continuing Jesus’ words on the Bread of Life from two Sundays ago, the gospel today tells how the Son, the one who “comes down from heaven,” both gives life and is life himself.

Love is fully sufficient to itself; when it enters the heart, it absorbs all other feelings. The soul who loves, loves and knows nothing more. To God alone, honor and glory. But God accepts these only when seasoned with the honey of love.