One Loaf, Many Tables: Staying Fed During the School Year

The school year is already in full swing, and life is back to its usual hustle—classes, homework, and after-school activities. With everything going on, it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness and forget to take care of our spiritual well-being. But this is exactly the time when we need to make sure we’re being fed, not just physically but spiritually too.  

In John 6:56–69, Jesus talks about being the “bread of life,” saying, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in them.” This was a tough teaching for a lot of people to swallow—so tough that many of his followers left. But Jesus wasn’t talking about literally eating his flesh. He was using this as a way to explain how close he wants to be with us, how deeply he wants us to take in his teachings and let them shape our lives.  

It reminds me of an experience I had in graduate school. I took a class with a professor who was known for being tough. A lot of students avoided his courses because he had a reputation for giving low grades. But some of us decided to stick with it because we knew we’d learn something valuable, even if it was hard. On the first day, the professor was surprised to see so many of us there and asked, “Why haven’t you gone away?”  A friend joked, “To whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life.” Everyone laughed, but there was truth in it. We stayed because we knew the hard work would pay off. And it did—we ended up learning more than we ever expected, not just about the subject but about ourselves.  

Jesus’ teachings are like that too. They can be challenging, and they might push us out of our comfort zones. But if we stick with him, we find that we’re fed in ways we didn’t even realize we needed.  

So, as we go through this school year, it’s important to ask ourselves: How are we staying connected to Jesus? Are we allowing God’s love to fill us up so that we can face whatever comes our way? 

The idea of “One Loaf, Many Tables” is a great reminder of this. No matter where we are—whether it’s at home, in school, or somewhere else—we’re all sharing in the same spiritual nourishment that Jesus offers. It’s like sitting at different tables but eating from the same loaf of bread. We’re connected by the love and strength we receive from him.  

Let’s make it a priority this fall to stay close to Jesus, to feed on his words, and let them give us the energy and wisdom we need. When we do that, we’re not just getting through the year, we’re growing in our faith, and deepening our relationships with the people around us. Amen.