Place of death, bread of life

Christelle Javary

in Magnificat

Delivered from the Egyptians, but imprisoned in a place of desolation, the people of Israel are at their wits' end. Suspicion grows in their hearts, the opposite of trust: instead of saving us, God wants us to die. It's like the pernicious hiss of the serpent in Genesis. God's response is to provide sustenance, even if in an unexpected form. "What is this?" exclaim the recipients, faced with this strange food that has rained down from heaven. Manna in the desert is not the delivery from the local supermarket, nor the buffet of petits fours one casually nibbles on, a glass of champagne in hand… It is the survival ration, the soldier's bread. It is quite simply a matter of life or death.

Ancient history, one might think? No, unfortunately. On September 3, 2023, the president of Les Restos du Cœur (Restaurants of the Heart) sounded the alarm, as the very survival of his organization was threatened. More and more people seeking assistance, squeezed by inflation, increasingly expensive food products, declining donations: the equation is daunting. The only "solution"? Reduce the number of beneficiaries, decrease the quantities distributed. For the volunteers, how heartbreaking it is to turn away the single mother with her child or the retiree who is already going without... Empty fridge for some, plenty for others. "What kind of society is this?"

Bread for all our hungers

When God gives, he doesn't simply throw a few crumbs from heaven as alms. When God gives, he gives himself. He comes to establish a bond of trust and love with his creation. He doesn't just fill bellies; he nourishes people in all their hungers: hunger for dignity, for peace, for mercy. This is precisely how Jesus, the Father's beloved Son, acts. "Whoever comes to me will never go hungry again." However essential earthly bread may be, it is not enough to satisfy a human being. When Jesus multiplies the loaves to feed the crowd, this should not be seen as a windfall but as a sign. The gift reveals the giver and calls us to believe in him. This sometimes requires revising certain assumptions. Familiar with sacred history, Jesus' interlocutors often mention the gift of manna in the desert, but the challenge is to enter into a different understanding of this famous episode. This is why Saint Paul recommends that the Christians of Ephesus abandon their former ways and allow themselves to be renewed by God. To enter a new path, to let themselves be guided, to accept not being in control of everything. So much the better if the harshness of the desert shakes some of our certainties and opens us to a humble questioning: "What is it?"