THE TEXT BELOW IS THE TRANSCRIPTION OF THE VIDEO COMMENTARY BY FR. FERNANDO ARMELLINI

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A good Sunday to all. 

We remember that last week’s Gospel passage ended with the crowd’s enthusiasm, as they wanted to proclaim Jesus as king. Therefore, Jesus was at the height of success, a triumph in our view. Still, for Jesus, it was the greatest disappointment. He realized that he had failed to make the people understand the meaning of the sign he had given. He had taken five loaves of bread and two fish, representing all that the people had, and shown that this food was not only enough to feed everyone but was actually superabundant. He gave a sign that the people did not understand. 

They regarded Jesus as a miracle worker. This is a misconception we also tend to fall into. Our world has numerous flaws, many holes and gaps that need fixing: hunger, misery… What did the people of Capernaum say? What did they expect from Jesus? The people probably thought: ‘What a great thing; finally, here is someone who can solve all our problems through miracles.’ It is a misunderstanding we can also fall prey to. 

Jesus couldn’t make them understand that the new world doesn’t come from heaven with miracles but must be built according to his proposal. Only this way will we create a world without hunger, war, or misery. This was the sign Jesus had given, and people misunderstood it. What happens next? There’s a passage in the Gospel of John that is not quoted today, but we need to recall it because it helps us understand what happens. 

There is general confusion. Jesus goes up the mountain alone. The disciples separate from the crowd, and two groups form. We see the disciples go on their own: they travel by boat to Capernaum without Jesus. Then, during the night, the sea becomes turbulent, a strong wind blows, and they are left alone. Jesus stays on the mountain. They try to paddle for three or four kilometers. The sea is rough; the wind works against them. At one point, they see Jesus walking on the sea’s waves. They are frightened. Then they receive Jesus into the boat, the raging sea calms, and they reach their destination. 

All of this feels very mysterious. What does the evangelist John want to tell us? This story is a parable about the widespread confusion before the sign that Jesus performed. The fact that Jesus goes alone to the mountain is a clear sign. It has a straightforward meaning for those who understand the biblical symbolism of the mountain, which represents a place where God’s thoughts are shared. He is the only one who goes up the mountain, and Jesus is the only one who continues to think according to the Lord’s standards. As we mentioned, the disciples separate themselves from the crowd, get into a boat, and cross the lake, but without Jesus they encounter a storm; the wind is against them. 

These images depict the evangelist grappling with an inner struggle; they have recognized the sign, yet their hearts remain unsettled. Unlike the crowd, they understand the proposal he has made: they must leave the old world and journey to the new world he aims to build. However, they realize that accepting Jesus’ invitation is very challenging because it requires behaving like the child who did not hoard the food, sell it, or make others pay for it, but instead gave it out of love. This child put all their goods at the disposal of others and proved that, through such actions, the hunger of the world could be satisfied. Still, their hearts are troubled because accepting this proposal is difficult. 

Therefore, the reference to the sea in which they are involved is the agitation of their hearts and the disturbance of the Christian community when it is faced with the sea and the provocative word of the Gospel that calls for conversion, a radical change in life choices. This is the fear every believer experiences when he does not perceive the presence of Jesus beside him, even when he believes that He does exist and is risen, yet imagines Him far away. 

It is a call to follow his proposal. They do not feel his presence nearby and are restless, but when they look at him with faith and welcome him into their boat, trusting his word, the waves grow calm. This marks the beginning of today’s gospel passage, which introduces the crowd’s reaction. 

Let’s listen: 

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into boats and came to Capernaum to look for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you get here?’

The disciples, who had understood the sign, were very agitated. The crowd was confused; they did not understand, misinterpreted the sign, looked for Jesus, and couldn’t find him or the disciples. They didn’t know where to go or whom to turn to. It appears they are all baffled and disoriented, which was expected. The sign given by Jesus is very provocative, and the people need clarification; they want to understand clearly what he expects and what he has come to give. 

The passage was written for us; today, we need clarity to fully understand what Jesus came to do in our lives. We recognize ourselves in the disciples tossed by the sea. However, we must now see ourselves in the crowds of Capernaum and in the disciples’ expectations, because these are our expectations—what we hope to receive from Jesus today. 

The crowds seek Jesus and find him on the other side of the sea. Jesus has made his exodus. He wanted to lead these crowds into the new world, but they did not follow him; they stayed with their feet planted in their own land, the land of bondage, the old world. They did not follow him and are still seeking, but for the wrong reason. They wait for what he did not come to give. 

When they find him, they ask, “When did you come here?” but that isn’t the real question they want to ask. What they really have in mind is this: “Jesus, will you perform wonders for us to make our lives easier here? When we face problems and difficulties, you must solve them with miracles. If you don’t help us with these practical needs, what’s the point of knowing you?” 

Let us consider whether these expectations of the people of Capernaum are similar to those of many Christians today. We have also heard expressions very similar to those of the inhabitants of Capernaum. They say things like: I am a believer, but if I am in need because of problems and I call the Lord and He does not intervene, what is the use of believing? These are the same objections that the inhabitants of Capernaum raised against Jesus. They expect Him only to intervene to help with their material needs. 

Let us listen to Jesus’ answer: 

Jesus answered them, saying, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.’ 

Jesus does not answer the question they asked him because it is not what they had in mind. He responds to the real question: ‘You seek me not because you have understood the sign but because you have eaten the loaves and the fishes. That is, you seek me so I will respond with miracles to your material needs; in reality, you are not looking for me; you are looking for the loaves and fishes.’ This misunderstanding persists today in many people’s minds, even among many Christians. 

Let us ask ourselves why they seek the Lord. If their prayers are directed to Him to receive what He gives, they should ask Him for the light to make the right decisions in life, to see clearly, and to avoid mistakes. He teaches us to love and to give to others, not to keep goods for ourselves, but to consider the lives of our brothers and sisters. In our prayers, on the other hand, we do not ask for people’s needs… we ask to ‘receive.’ What are the expectations of these prayers of ours? Also, on the Lord’s Day, when we gather together and should feel in full communion with our brothers and sisters, even on this day we withdraw into ourselves, in our petitions to the Lord to intervene and solve our material problems. 

Thus, we see that many have abandoned their faith because their needs, which once led them to seek help from God and the saints, are now met by science and technology. When this happens, it indicates a misunderstanding of the true identity of Jesus. What answer does he provide? “Seek not from me the food that perishes, but that which endures to eternal life.” There are two types of food for two different lives. One is for the material life—the perishable biological life—and there is another life altogether. 

In English, we have only one word for life, but in Greek there are two: ‘bios’ and ‘zoé.’ When the adjective ‘aionios’ is added, it means eternal life, or more precisely, the life of the Eternal. As we know, biological life eventually ends. Let us remember what the psalmist says in Psalm 49 about the rich who have everything: no matter how much they pay for the ransom of their lives, it is never enough to live forever, never enough to avoid ending up in the grave. It is life that perishes. 

The food of this life is essential, but it’s important to remember that this life will eventually end. Jesus says: ‘seek not this food from me that you must obtain yourselves; from me, you must wait for the food that nourishes the life that does not perish, which is the life that God gives us and which is untouched by biological death.’ So let’s take a moment to reflect on our life: the tendency to focus on the food that perishes, forgetting that we have another kind of life to nourish. What’s the point of stressing over things that are bound to fade away? They are important, but it’s not crucial to own a designer dress or the latest car model. Let’s consider how much effort we spend seeking others’ approval, climbing the social ladder, maybe trying to get some exposure on TV and in newspapers… It’s food that perishes. 

We strive for things that won’t fully satisfy us at a deep level. We will never quench our hunger for life with them. We long for a life that lasts forever because we are well-made. Let’s be aware of this. Otherwise, we will live poorly; we will always be in chaos. Jesus did not come to give the world bread for physical life. This is the misunderstanding that Jesus wants to free us from today. Let’s then reflect on our lives and understand the true reason we seek the Lord. 

So, what must we do to obtain this food that grants eternal life? This is how Jesus answers: 

So they said to him, ‘What can we do to accomplish the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.’ So they said to him, ‘What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’

The multitude from Capernaum who sought Jesus is now asking him about their doubts. They are religious individuals who attend synagogue every Sabbath for the liturgy, go to the temple, pray, give alms, and fast. Now they turn to Jesus and ask him: ‘Besides these works that we do, what else should we do?’ 

It is a question we also need to ask Jesus, since we are practitioners of religion ourselves. What else does Jesus expect from us? What more does He want from us beyond what we are already doing? Jesus’ answer is not to pursue other things: ‘The only work that God asks of you is to believe in me.’ To believe in Him who has been sent by the heavenly Father: Jesus of Nazareth. 

What does it mean to believe? We often say ‘to have faith’—it’s the same thing. John never speaks of having faith but of believing. To believe means trusting the proposal of life that Jesus offers us. We hear many suggestions for successful lives, and we cannot afford to be wrong because we only get one life. Believing means choosing the proposal that Jesus of Nazareth makes, which is to give one’s life for love, not to keep one’s possessions but to give them to others so they may live. This is his proposal; to believe means: ‘I bet my life on what you ask me to do.’ And it is clear that this is a very demanding proposal, and we cannot afford to make mistakes. 

Then comes the doubt: Won’t I regret it later if I haven’t enjoyed life? That is why the crowds in Capernaum ask Jesus, “Give us a sign that your message comes from God,” the message you embody. They also refer to Moses, who gave the people following him in the wilderness a sign from heaven: the manna. Jesus refuses to prove the truth of his message through miracles. Keep in mind that faith in Jesus doesn’t rely on miracle proofs, and even less on rational explanations. His message is reasonable, but it cannot be proven by reason. 

Jesus asks for the trust that a lover seeks. A lover cannot prove to a girl by saying, ‘You will have certainty; I can prove to you that I will make you happy.’ He can’t prove it. Either she trusts him or she doesn’t. Jesus offers only one proof: the beauty of his life, given out of love. And now he asks you, ‘Do you also want to commit your life to mine and walk with me?’ Now Jesus draws a comparison between the gift Moses gave, the gift of manna, and the true bread that comes down from heaven. Let’s listen: 

So Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ So they said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ Jesus said to them: ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.’ 

He who is in love wants the person he loves to be happy, and he knows he cannot be happy without her; that’s why he seeks to win her. Jesus is the one in love who wants to show us that only he can satisfy our need for infinite love, endless joy, and lasting life. He draws us in the same way lovers do; through his beauty, he shows us what he can give. ‘I will not give you material food; this you must seek on your own. You certainly need the food for your physical life, but if you think you will be satisfied with only this, you will be disappointed. Others’ lovers promise to satisfy your hunger and thirst for joy with material things. Not me. But beware—they will deceive you. They will never give you the fullness of joy,’ 

The manna was a gift from God, yet it was bread for the earth—bread that perishes—not the bread of heaven, the true bread that sustains a life that does not perish. The manna did not last; after a while, worms came forth from it, just as treasures stored in this world are corroded by rust or stolen by thieves. The bread of heaven nourishes a life that never perishes. 

The crowds do not understand this; they still believe the bread from heaven is merely material bread, and we still hold the same view—that the graces from heaven support our material lives. That is all they seek. Then Jesus clarifies: “I am the bread of life.” He is the one who fulfills people’s deepest and most personal needs. Everything we do aims at joy, and for that we hunger and thirst. 

But if we believe we can satisfy that hunger and thirst with perishable food and water from wells that eventually dry up, we will be disappointed. The joy and happiness that come from pleasure—the pleasure blessed and willed by God—may satisfy us momentarily, but as the years pass, these wells run dry. If we have staked everything on the water of worldly pleasures from these wells, it will eventually run out. We might find satisfaction in professional success, but when we retire, no one calls us anymore. The well has dried up, and we are still thirsty. We enjoyed the music, but we became a little deaf and no longer enjoy it; we liked books, but now we can’t read them; we liked to travel, but now we can’t. These are wells that dry up, yet our thirst remains. 

It is the thirst for infinity, the longing for God that he places within us to seek Him. We remember the psalmist’s cry (Ps 42): “I thirst for you, O God; for the living God.” Or the prophecy of Amos: “The days will come when I send a famine on the earth, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the word of the Lord.” Or Jeremiah, who confessed to the Lord: “When I found your words, I devoured them; your word was to me a joy and gladness to my heart.” 

The only bread that fulfills the need for complete joy is the word of Christ and his Gospel, not the manna from the wilderness. Until one finds this bread that truly satisfies, they will remain restless, even if they fill themselves with worldly possessions, because we must recognize that all these are fleeting goods. 

I wish you all a good Sunday and a good week.