One of the things that I have realized in the Ordinary Season is that we are being asked and invited to focus our attention on Jesus. What is He doing? What are His feelings? What are His attitudes about people? And what are His aspirations for the people?

Jesus is true and faithful to the mission that the Father has given to Him. Prior to this pericope, Jesus, according to Matthew, toured around towns and villages; in other words, he was an itinerant preacher. He proclaimed the good news of God's reign - the conspicuous realty that the reign of God is amongst the people, He cured diseases and sickness and expelled demons.

Food is an essential element in life in order to survive and to be energized. Jesus understood this when He compares Himself as the "living bread from heaven". He says: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." The Jews quarreled among themselves because they didn't understand what He was trying to tell them.

St. Augustine of Hippo had to grapple with the mystery of the Blessed Trinity. How can the three Divine persons be in one God? As he tried to look for answers to this query, he encountered a child on a seashore digging a small hole. What are you doing he asked the child. The child answered him: "I will transfer the whole ocean into this small hole." St. Augustine said in reply: "That's impossible or preposterous."

I am reminded of a famous adage or quote: "Promises are made to be broken." I suppose this is true for us humans. We have made a lot of promises to people, but how many times have we broken them? This is not so with Jesus. He always fulfills His word and promise. He said this in His Last Supper discourse to His disciples: "I will ask the Father and he will give you another Paraclete - to be with you always: the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept..." (Jn 14:16) "When the Paraclete comes, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father - whom I myself will send from the Father - he will bear witness on my behalf. (Jn 15:36) If I fail to go, the Paraclete will never come to you." (Jn 16:7)

Fr. Flor McCarthy, SDB, the author of the New Sunday & Holy Day Liturgies, has a beautiful anecdote to share with us. When Jesus returned to heaven after His death and resurrection, the Archangel Gabriel was surprised to see Him back soon. "Back so soon?" Gabriel said to Jesus. "Well, I would have stayed longer but they crucified me," Jesus replied. "Oh so, they crucified You," said Gabriel. "That means You failed." "Not necessarily," said Jesus.

In order for us to understand well and deeply this particular Gospel account, it is necessary and expedient to know the context where this particular passage is located in the whole Gospel. Where was Jesus? What was he doing? To whom is this particular passage is addressed? What were the circumstances or situations the disciples faced?

In last Sunday's of readings, we reflected one of the most beautiful descriptions of Jesus being the Good Shepherd. We Catholics have many titles to address Jesus and these are embedded in our devotions to honor Him like the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Diving Mercy, the Black Nazarene (famous in the Philippines), The Holy Child, the Redeemer and Christ the King.