Cycle B - Year I:

2 August 2015: Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Liturgical color: Green)

John 6:24-35


Searching for God


There was a man, who was searching earnestly for God:

- The man whispered, "God, speak to me,".... and a meadow lark sang; but the man did not hear.

- So the man yelled, "God, speak to me!"... and the thunder rolled across the sky; but the man did not listen.

- The man looked around and said, "God, let me see you,".... and a star shined brightly; but the man did not see.

- And, the man shouted, "God show me a miracle!"... and a life was born; but the man did not notice.

- So the man cried out in despair, "Touch me, God, and let me know You are here,"... whereupon, God reached down and touched the man..... But, the man brushed the butterfly away, and walked on.

This short anecdote is a great reminder that God is always around us in the little and simple things that we take for granted..... but often we search for Him in the spectacular, like the dancing sun perhaps.

The crowd was searching for Jesus in this Sunday's Gospel narrative. They realized that Jesus was not only a healer of the sick and a great teacher, he can satisfy the people's temporal needs when our Lord fed the multitude. The crowd must be thinking that Jesus is all they need for daily living.

But Jesus saw through their motivation and intention, and said to them: "Amen, amen, I say to you,

you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you." (Jn 6:26-27). The rest of the Gospel reading is the beginning of Jesus' discourse on himself as the Bread of Life.

People seek Jesus in our generation for various reasons. It seems that nothing has really changed in our reason for seeking him since the time of the first disciples. Often we seek Him to satisfy our hunger of the body and not for that which satisfies the heart and soul. In a way, there is nothing wrong with satisfying our physical needs. Our Lord Himself has shown his concern for our physical well-being in his multiplication of bread to feed the multitude. But we must not stop there and search for that which can satisfy our spiritual hunger in our heart and soul -- the hunger for truth, for life, and for love.

In satisfying our spiritual hunger, Jesus spoke about accomplishing the "works of God" by believing in Him as God's Son who was sent into the world. Then Jesus made the claim that only God can make: "I am the Bread of Life." This bread that Jesus offers us is none else than the very life of God. This is the true bread which can truly satisfy the hunger in our heart.

In other words, the bread which Jesus offers us sustains us not only on our journey to the heavenly paradise, but gives us the abundant supernatural life of God which sustains us both now and for all eternity.

So, therefore, when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist at Holy Mass, we unite ourselves to our Lord Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood and partakers of his divine life as well.

Let us pray in the words of St. Augustine of Hippo: "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You."

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.


Ad Jesum per Mariam!