Reflecting on "The Bread of Life" in "A Culture of Zapping"

"All of us, but especially the young, are immersed in a culture of zapping"

This is a quote from Pope Francis in his latest Apostolic Exhortation: GAUDETE ET EXSULTATE - ON THE CALL TO HOLINESS IN TODAY’S WORLD (point 167, page 35)

Father Marcus brought this quote to my attention yesterday in his homily. It really piqued my interest so I downloaded the Exhortation document above and I am more than half way through it. I also downloaded the Pope's other Apostolic Exhortations and am looking forward to reading them.

The scripture reading for yesterday's mass was on the "Jesus, the bread of life" discourse in John chapter 6.  
"Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”" (John 6:35)

Father Marcus pointed out that Jesus, through the apostle John, took an entire chapter in the Gospel to explain the mystery of the True Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. But in today's culture of zapping we may easily miss the significance of such a deep and powerful mystery that can empower our lives. Let me quote what Pope Francis has to say:

"167. The gift of discernment has become all the more necessary today, since contemporary life offers immense possibilities for action and distraction, and the world presents all of them as valid and good. All of us, but especially the young, are immersed in a culture of zapping. We can navigate simultaneously on two or more screens and interact at the same time with two or three virtual scenarios. Without the wisdom of discernment, we can easily become prey to every passing trend.
 
168. This is all the more important when some novelty presents itself in our lives. Then we have to decide whether it is new wine brought by God or an illusion created by the spirit of this world or the spirit of the devil. At other times, the opposite can happen, when the forces of evil induce us not to change, to leave things as they are, to opt for a rigid resistance to change. Yet that would be to block the working of the Spirit. We are free, with the freedom of Christ. Still, he asks us to examine what is within us – our desires, anxieties, fears and questions – and what takes place all around us – “the signs of the times” – and thus to recognize the paths that lead to complete freedom. “Test everything; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thess 5:21)."

One of the reasons for my returning to the Catholic Church is the availability of the Sacraments. Having regular Holy Communion and Reconciliation has helped me grow in holiness. I thank Jesus for offering himself, body, blood, soul, and divinity in the holy sacrament of the altar during each daily mass.

"At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet 'in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.'" (CCC 1323)

"“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”" (John 6:51).