The people of Israel must have had very short memories if they looked back to their captivity in Egypt with nostalgia. It is doubtful that their slave-drivers would have fed them as well as they remembered. God had pity on them and freed them from their oppression; but they soon lost faith in him and started building a golden calf to worship. It is all too easy to take God’s many gifts for granted.
Jesus gave thanks both before he distributed the loaves at the feeding of the five thousand and at the Last Supper when he blessed the bread and wine. "Eucharist", a Greek word, means "thanksgiving". Jesus told His apostles to “Do this in memory of me.” When these words are said at mass, we re-enact Christ’s Passion and death on the Cross, as the Israelites relived their Exodus when they celebrated Passover.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Even the learned Nicodemus had a long road to travel before he understood the full meaning of what Jesus had told him. Jesus is the Living One who feeds us with the fruits of his passion in the Eucharist. May we be truly grateful for this wonderful gift.