Work for food that last

Gospel

John 6:22-29

Do not work for food that cannot last, but for food that endures to eternal life

After Jesus had fed the five thousand, his disciples saw him walking on the water. Next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side saw that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that the disciples had set off by themselves. Other boats, however, had put in from Tiberias, near the place where the bread had been eaten. When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into those boats and crossed to Capernaum to look for Jesus. When they found him on the other side, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’

Jesus answered:

‘I tell you most solemnly,

you are not looking for me because you have seen the signs

but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat.

Do not work for food that cannot last,

but work for food that endures to eternal life,

the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you,

for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal.’

Then they said to him, ‘What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?’ Jesus gave them this answer, ‘This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.’

Reflection

Jesus challenges the crowd to look beyond material bread and seek the “food that endures to eternal life.” He invites us to trust not in signs or miracles alone, but in the one whom the Father has sent. When we align our desires with God’s promises, our daily choices—relationships, work, rest, generosity—become acts of faith. True nourishment comes from a relationship with Christ that sustains us beyond this life, transforming how we live here and now.

Reflection Question

In what ways might I be chasing temporary “bread” today (comfort, success, approval) and how can I turn my attention more fully toward the eternal nourishment offered by Jesus?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the true bread that gives life to the world. Help me trust in Jesus, the one You have sent, and seek daily nourishment from Him rather than fleeting satisfactions. Teach me to live in ways that reflect this eternal food—loving You, serving others, and growing in faith. May my daily choices reveal the seal of Your love on my life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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