Hello friends,
This is Mark Gladman,
Also known as Brother Frederick James,
Your Friendly Neighbourhood Monk in Docs.
Welcoming you to Day 5 of our Lenten series,
I Am,
A reflection on the I Am statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John.
And we continue today to reflect on Jesus' words,
I Am the Bread of Life.
So as we begin,
Take a deep breath in,
And slowly release it.
Allow yourself to settle into this moment.
Let go of distractions,
Of worries,
Of the pool,
Of the past,
Or the future.
Simply be here.
And as you breathe,
Imagine yourself drawing in the presence of God,
A presence that surrounds you,
Sustains you,
And nourishes you.
Listen to the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John.
Very truly I tell you,
Whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the Bread of Life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness and they died.
But this is the bread that comes down from heaven,
So that one may eat of it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven.
Whoever eats of this bread will live forever.
Jesus is speaking to us of a nourishment that does not fade.
A life that's not merely endless,
But as the true way of understanding eternal life means,
A life that is full and deep and rich.
See,
Quite often we think of eternal life as something far away,
Something that only begins after we die.
Jesus speaks of eternal life as something that begins right here and right now,
And has been available to us all along.
The Greek word EONIOS doesn't only mean everlasting,
It speaks more clearly of a quality of life.
A life that's rooted in love.
A life that's filled with wholeness.
A life that is rich.
A life that is lived,
As Jesus said elsewhere in John's Gospel,
To the full.
Eternal life isn't just about length,
It's about depth.
It's not just about time,
But it's about connection.
Let's think about this for a moment.
What would it mean to experience eternal life today?
Not someday,
But right now.
What if eternal life is living with an awareness of God's presence?
What if it means being fully alive in love,
In peace,
And in trust?
This,
This is the life that Jesus invites you to receive.
And,
As we've noted from some of our other reflections,
Not through striving,
And not through earning,
But by simply coming and being fed.
Imagine yourself standing before Jesus.
In his hands he holds the bread of life.
A nourishment that does not fade.
A love that does not end.
He offers it to you.
And he says,
Take.
Be filled.
Be filled.
Be made whole.
As we sit in the silence for a moment,
Take that bread.
Eat that bread.
And as you are filled,
Receive that wholeness.
In receiving,
I invite you to pray with me with an open heart.
Jesus,
You are the bread of life.
I long to be nourished by you.
Fill me with your presence.
Let me taste the eternal life that is found in you.
Not just someday,
But today.
As you rest in this moment of stillness,
Let yourself receive.
Let the truth of eternal life take a deep root in you.
And when you're ready,
Take one more deep breath in.
Slowly release it.
And carry this truth of a full,
Abundant,
Eternal life that begins right now.
Into the day ahead.
And until tomorrow,
May peace continue to be with you on your Lenten journey.
Bye for now.
