Lord Jesus, challenge us to rethink our needs and share with the hungry. |
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
On this Sunday and for the next four Sundays, the praying assembly will be the honoured guests at a summer “picnic” hosted by God. There on the mountain overlooking the Sea of Galilee, all who wish may gather with the multitude that was fed by Jesus for an extended eucharistic encounter. As the picnic encounter progresses, those present will also be nourished with the truth and wisdom of Jesus’ teaching about his life-giving death and the gift of his very self as food.
Born in Bethlehem, i.e., in the village called “house of bread”, Jesus challenged his followers to be food for others, salt in the world (Mt. 5:13), without which mankind cannot survive. Six times the four evangelists have portrayed Jesus as multiplying bread in order to feed the multitudes. Through Jesus’ actions, the miracle of the manna was repeated and the gift of the Eucharist was anticipated.
Because of their extended reflection and focus on John 6, these next five weeks of “picniking” with Jesus and the multitudes will bring home to us the realization that Jesus does not just provide bread; rather Jesus is the Bread.
In today’s first reading (2Kings 4:42-44), the narrative of Elisha multiplying barley loaves provides the background for John’s stipulation that the bread Jesus multiplied was barley bread – the food of the poor. The second reading (Eph. 4:1-6), sandwiched in between the first and the gospel (Jn. 6:1-15), both of which are centred on miraculous gifts of bread, is the “meat” of Christian commitment. In this passage from Ephesians, Paul reminds those who are privileged to be fed by God of the manner of life that is expected of them, viz, a life worthy of such a gift – a life characterized by virtue, mutual love, care and support – a life built on peace and lived in harmony.
Jesus’ sign of multiplying the loaves for the many challenges us to rethink our needs, to downsize our appetites, to share with the hungry and thereby truly appreciate and cherish the Bread of life.
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