Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15
Psalm 78:18-19, 23-28
Matthew 13:1-9
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THE MANNA TEST
"I will now rain down bread from heaven for you."—Exodus 16:4
God rained manna down on His people. Manna, the miraculous bread which God provided to Israel for forty years, was “fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground” (Ex 16:14). Jesus proclaimed that the manna of the New Testament is both the Eucharist and the bread of God’s Word (Mt 4:4). Jesus also proclaimed: “This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and died nonetheless, the man who feeds on this bread shall live forever” (Jn 6:58). This bread is Jesus’ “flesh, for the life of the world” (Jn 6:51), that is, Holy Communion. In the new covenant, we can receive the new, “hidden” (Rv 2:17), and ultimate Manna, Jesus Himself, the Bread of life (Jn 6:35).
When the Lord rained manna down on His people, He tested them to see whether they would follow His instructions or not (Ex 16:4). In the new covenant, when the Lord rains down on us the manna of His Word and the Eucharist, He is testing us to see if we will not only hear His Word but also do it (Jas 1:22). The Lord gives us the new manna of His Word and the Eucharist to see whether we will live a eucharistically centered life and bear fruit in a hundredfold harvest (Mt 13:8).
Are you passing the manna test? Are you following all of Jesus’ instructions, not just in the letter of the law but in the Spirit? (2 Cor 3:6) Abide in God’s Word (Jn 8:31); live in communion with Him; pass the manna test.
Prayer: Father, may I delight in obeying You (see Ps 40:9).
Promise: "Let everyone heed what he hears!" —Mt 13:9
Praise: From an early age, St. Bridget dedicated every Friday to meditating upon Jesus' Passion.
(For a related teaching on This Is My Body view, download or order our booklet on our website.)
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"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from June 1, 2025, through July 31, 2025. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio September 25, 2024"
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.
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