The Bread of Life in the feed box.

My sister as Mary, and my niece as Jesus in a
live Nativity at St. Anthony's Catholic Church
in December 2012

The other day I was reading something and it said something about Bethlehem meaning "house of bread" it was written in passing, like "here's a little factoid" and my brain pretty much exploded! The reason my brain exploded was that the second I read that, it clicked that a manger is a feed box. I was like "whoa, the Bread of Life (John 6:35) was born in the House of Bread, and placed into a feed box!" More proof for the Eucharist, which we all know I love, I mean, duh, "it's" Jesus, how could one that loves the Lord not love the Eucharist?  This is one of  my favorite things about the Word, no matter how many times you read it, you can always gain something new...if, and when God's ready to reveal it to you, of course. 

It's such wonderful foreshadowing. On the day He was born of the flesh, He was born in the 'House of Bread'-later He tells us; “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) in verse 51 He goes on to say; " 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.” the symbolism of Him being laid in a manger-feed box-after His birth, is just so beautiful when paired with these later words. He begins His human life in a feed box, and later feeds thousands on little food, and now, with His presence in the Eucharist, feeds millions spiritually every day.  It's just amazing to me that He was in a feed box (in the House of Bread) and we feed on Him now. 

I talk about much more of the proof I found in the post I linked earlier, I just, I almost have no words! So many connections, so many references, it's just simply amazing, and awe-inspiring, I just can't get my brain around it fully, I'm just so excited I had to share that bit of insight...even though most of you are probably laughing that I JUST made that connection, and at my simple theology, but, hey, I felt I had to share. 

I am just awed by that symbolism, but not a bit surprised. Nothing is an accident where Christ is concerned, it all has deep purpose and profound meaning, we are just so blessed to be able to have small slivers of that revealed to us! Surprisingly I don't have much else to say about it, other than it's clearly foreshadowing the gift He later gives us, and that's amazing. And, God's amazing! And I'm stoked for the day I finally get to partake of that wonderful gift that Jesus gave us.