ON SPIRITUAL FOOD

ON SPIRITUAL FOOD

St.  Nikolai Velimirovic

“I am the bread of life” (John 6:48)

   Thus spoke the Lord Jesus to the hungry human race, and these words are proven through the ages to innumerable followers of Christ who received the Lord as the food of their souls.  One young man in despair, who was near suicide, went to confession. The Priest listened to him carefully, then said to him: “My son, you yourself are at fault in your distress. Your soul is famished to death.  All your life you have done things that only feed the body, but you have never given thought to the soul’s need for food. It needs more, and more frequently than the body does. Your soul is dying of hunger. Eat and drink Christ my son. Only thus can your soul be turned back from death. Eat and drink Christ every day, incessantly.  He is the lifegiving bread of our souls.”  The young man obeyed the elder and was restored to life.

    My brethren, let us feed our souls with Christ, that they may be alive and healthy. Let us constantly feed our minds with thoughts of Christ, that they may be enlightened and clear.  Let us constantly feed our hearts with the love of Christ, that they may be pure and joyful.  Let us constantly feed our wills with the commandments of Christ and the example of Christ, that our wills may at every moment perform good works.  May Christ’s thoughts be our thoughts; and Christ’s love be our love; and Christ’s good will be our good will. Let us constantly feed our souls on Christ the Lord; constantly feed on Him and assuage the thirst of our souls on Him. There is no more nourishing bread than He; there is no sweeter drink than He. In Holy Communion, He gives himself wholly to us, His Body and Blood.

  But to receive Communion is a reminder to us that our souls must feed on Him without pause. We must eat and drink Him as incessantly as we breathe.

  O our gracious and sweet Lord, move our souls to feed constantly on you and to be made alive.  You are the Bread of Life. To you be glory and praise forever. Amen.        (Prologue Vol. 1 p222)