The food miraculously sent to the Israelites during their forty years sojourn in the desert (Exodus 16; Numbers 11:6-9). It fell during the night in small white flakes or grains which covered the ground and presented the appearance of hoar frost. These grains are described as resembling coriander seed and bdellium, with a taste like "flour with honey", or "bread tempered with oil" (Exodus 16:31; Numbers 11:7-8).
The manna fell for the first time while the Israelites were in the desert of Sin, six weeks after their departure from Egypt, in answer to their murmurs over the privations of desert life (Exodus 16:1 sq.) and thenceforth fell daily, except on the Sabbath, till they arrived at Galgal in the plain of Jericho (Joshua 5:12). During these years the manna was their chief but not their only article of diet. Their herds furnished them some milk and meat; they had oil and flour, at least in small quantities, and at times purchased provisions from neighbouring peoples (Leviticus 2 sq.; 17:1 sq.; Deuteronomy 2:6, 28). The manna had to be gathered in the morning, as the heat of the sun melted it. The quantity to be collected was limited to a gomor (omer, between six and seven pints) per person; but on the eve of the Sabbath a double portion was gathered. When kept over night it putrefied and bred worms, except the portion which was reserved for the Sabbath. Though it was probably eatable in the natural state, it was usually ground in a mill or beaten in a mortar and then boiled and made into cakes. As a reminder to future generations, a vessel filled with manna was placed near the Ark of the Covenant. The name is connected with the exclamation "Man hu", which the Israelites uttered on first seeing it. This expression since the time of the Septuagint is generally translated "What is this?", though it should more probably be translated "Is this manna?", or "It is manna". A substance named mannu was known in Egypt at that time, and the resemblance of the newly fallen food to this substance would naturally call forth the exclamation and suggest the name.
Christ uses the manna as the type and symbol of the Eucharistic food, which is true "bread from heaven", and "bread of life", i.e., life-giving bread, in a far higher sense than the manna of old (John 6). St. Paul in calling the manna "spiritual food" (1 Corinthians 10:3), alludes to its symbolical significance with regard to the Eucharist as much as to its miraculous character. Hence the manna has always been a common Eucharistic symbol in Christian art and liturgy. In Apocalypse 2:17, the manna stands as the symbol of the happiness of heaven.
“Give us this bread always.” (John 6:34)
The crowd was excited. Jesus had just used a couple of fish and a few loaves of bread to feed thousands! Now, having eaten their fill, you can almost hear them thinking: “Maybe we could get him to keep on providing for us just as Moses kept giving our ancestors manna. We would never have to worry about food again!”
But Jesus had come to the earth to be much more than a divine breadbasket! He tried to tell this to the people, but his conversation with them seemed to be happening on two different planes. The people were thinking about their material needs, but Jesus wanted to raise their thoughts to the things of heaven. He had just cautioned them not to work for the food that perishes but for the food that leads to eternal life, but they still seemed focused on their pressing needs (John 6:27).
Jesus knows that we need food and drink. He didn’t think it beneath himself to feed his listeners when they got hungry. But he also knows that whether we are starving or satisfied or anywhere in between, we are always hungering for peace, security, forgiveness, and dignity. He knows that whatever our physical state may be, the bread that he offers can meet our inner needs. His bread, the bread of life, can empower us to face any situation. It can fill us with the strength and clarity that come from knowing we belong to him.
Sharing donuts after Mass can be a wonderful opportunity for fellowship and a good way to have a morning snack, but Jesus offers us something even more life-giving. Every day, he offers himself to us on the altar. Every day, he seeks to draw us deeper into his life so that we can be transformed. As we receive him in the Eucharist, he can satisfy our deepest hunger. He can give us the wisdom and courage we need to meet any challenge. He can fill us so much, in fact, that we have plenty left over to share with the people around us. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, is the bread come down from heaven, giving life to those who receive it!
“Lord Jesus, I want to pursue you for who you are—the lover of my soul, the One who can satisfy the deepest longings of my heart!”
--that in all things God may be glorified--
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