“Manna” is the staple that God granted to the people of Israel as they journeyed through the wilderness. The English translation of the Hebrew term “manna” means “What is this?”

Today, we also use the term “manna” to represent the New Testament’s Eucharist.

In John’s Gospel from last Sunday, Jesus fed five thousand men, which foreshadowed Jesus’ discussion of the Eucharist in this Sunday’s Gospel.

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” (Jn 6:35)

When we receive the Body of Christ, God’s life enters into our own. As St. Paul once said, “This life that I live now…. It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.” (Ga 2:20)

Therefore, our lives have meaning and purpose; the “manna” of the New Testament no longer represents “What is this?” Instead, it symbolizes “radiance”, “hope”, and “the resurrection”.