Then the LORD said to Moses,
“I will now rain down bread from heaven for you.
Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion;
thus will I test them,
to see whether they follow my instructions or not.
On the sixth day, however, when they prepare what they bring in,
let it be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”
The Bread from Heaven, which the Hebrews called manna (meaning, what is it?) was one of the many "mighty works of God" on which our faith is founded. If we set aside God's creation of the Universe, we can remember the first of His mighty works was: parting of the Red Sea, the people's passage across its dry bottom, and the total destruction of the Egyptian army with all its horse, chariots, and charioteer, plus the Pharaoh.
These mighty works would continue throughout Israel's history as they survived the wilderness for forty years and settled in Palestine despite the hostility of its residents. God had promised the land to their Patriarch Abraham and he would not be denied. From the settlement of Palestine we can add the heroic deeds of the Judges, the capture of Jerusalem, and the history of God's people, including their Babylonian captivity and return to Jerusalem seventy years later.
Christians claim the greatest work of all is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, while Catholics believe that Great Work is still manifest in the Eucharist. Indeed, the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus point to the Eucharist as their end and purpose! Our Communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is so far beyond our human comprehension that we can see it only in the sharing of what appears to be bread and wine.
And that mighty demonstration finds its prophetic antecedent in the what-is-it? which the hungry Hebrews gathered off the desert ground.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.