I Am The Bread of Life

I often wonder how priests and theologians were able to continue to plumb the depths of John’s gospel and help us understand its relevance to our lives. I would try to put myself in the audience of John’s day and try to understand why these stories of Jesus the Bread of Life, are so vital to our faith. We need to hear them again and again until Jesus becomes our bread of life in the depths of our very being.
Do we we fully comprehend the theological and existential significance of approaching and “gathering” around the altar, the table of the Lord, to receive Communion? And if we don’t or are still confused is it really any wonder? Let’s face it, debate about the meaning of the Eucharist continues even now in this relatively tranquil ecumenical period between and within different denominations. The sacrament holds a pivotal place in the Church, in that it is central to our life of faith and yet can also be so very confusing. 

John writes (John 6:24-35), “How can this man give us his flesh to eat...Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” In their literal interpretation these phrases had quite an impact on John’s audience then as they do now. He is speaking to us in the present time as directly as he did in his time. 

St. Augustine attempts to clarify the connection between sacraments and our daily lives with his use of the phrase “visible words.” I find this phrase attractive because it helps me appreciate the Eucharist as the visible, physical reference to the presence of Christ in our lives. The Eucharist is the embodiment of the proclaimed and heard gospel and through imagery and our ability to relate to their physical forms, they enable us to bridge the metaphorical words of John with our humanity, and God’s incarnation in Jesus…through him and with him. As we fully absorb his presence in water, bread, and wine, we become incorporated into the “trinity.” When the word of God in scripture and the sacramental rites have worked their way through our senses and penetrate to the intuitive level of our being, the immense energies of the Spirit are released and our consciousness is gradually transformed into the mind of Christ. (Thomas Keating, The Mystery of Christ, p2)

The liturgy does not offer us a mere seat in the bleachers, or even a ringside seat. We are invited to participate in the event itself, to absorb its meaning and to relate to Christ on every level of his being as well as our own. The main thrust of the liturgy is to develop a relationship with Christ and engage all our faculties: the will, intellect, memory, imagination, senses and body. The transmission of the personal relationships through him…with the Father. It empowers us as we celebrate the mysteries of Christ, to not only perceive them as historical events but as manifestations of Christ here and now. (Thomas Keating, The Mystery of Christ, p8)

Now You Feed them

 

Is there any Gospel reading more familiar to us than Jesus feeding the multitudes John 6:1-15)? Let’s put aside the inclination to call Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand a miracle. Why? Primarily because it misses the point and distracts us from the true miracles that take place in the story. For the one who existed before existence, made the universe out of nothing and created light from darkness, simply multiplying some pieces of fish and bread was no major feat. 

John reminds us that the wonders Jesus performed throughout his ministry were always indications of the character of the God of love whose divine presence Jesus bears. Make no mistake, what Jesus did is anything but pedestrian but the point isn’t what Jesus did, but what he did and why he did it. Jesus reveals the presence of God in him by his deep compassion, the hallmark of Jesus ministry. This single word summarizes God’s unconditional love for us and is at the core of his incarnation in Christ. 

Ok, let’s get back to our miracle… that was no minor endeavor. What we now call “food scarcity” was rampant in the ancient world. And so the disciples’ suggestion that the hordes of people go away and buy food isn’t just unrealistic it’s ridiculous. First, they were in a deserted place in the middle of nowhere, and second, they would likely not have any money to buy food anyway. And so Jesus tells his disciples to get over their self-concern and off-loading their selfish desire to be left alone, after all what could they really do about it. So he tells them go ahead and feed the people… you do it!  Which brings us to the real miracle of the story: Jesus uses the disciples, even when they would rather look after themselves, to tend to the needs of these thousands of men, women, and children. They go from “we have nothing here but five loaves and fishes” to one of abundance to “thank you, God, for these five loaves and fishes.” Whatever their initial skepticism, or doubt, or self-indulgence, the disciples are caught up in Jesus’ words of abundance and “they all ate and were filled” as God worked through these reluctant disciples in all their humanity, to care for the poor and hungry that he loves so much. 

And that miracle continues every day today when a parent puts his/her own dreams aside to care for the needs of their children or aging parent. God is working that same miracle when a community of faith makes a promise that any one that comes to its doors will not be turned away hungry, or when a Muslim family hides a Christian refugee from the wrath of murderous radicals, or a father takes a bullet to shield his wife and daughter from an assassin. God is still at work performing miracles through us, his disciples eager, yet reluctant, and everything in between.

The real wonder of this story is that it continues today. God cares deeply and passionately for those who are most vulnerable:  the poor, the homeless, the hungry. And God continues to use us to care for them.  Just maybe if we are serving our “needy,” however poor or rich, we are reminded of the similarity that exists between the scenes in Matthew. Let those of us who have been fed by God’s heavenly food go and do likewise by sharing God’s love with all we meet and especially with those in deepest need. There are two miracles in this story. They have little to do with simply multiplying loaves and fishes. By remembering them, we are hopefully prepared to continue to follow Jesus and care for those in need. And that is no small thing at a time like this. Thank you God.

Summertime

For some reason this summer appears to be hotter than most, at least to me anyway. June 2024 is among the hottest on record and now July, here at the halfway point, is doing its best to compete. I’m sure some may attribute this unusually hot summer to global warming, although measuring any climatic global change requires decades and not months. That said, who knows, and does it really matter. All we know is that it’s really hot and it’s a signal to all of us to slow down, take it easy and rest. 

Ahh rest, such a beautiful word Just its very mention conditions us to want to stop and take a break from all the usual hustle and bustle, that too often is more like “Brownian movement,” a senseless discharge of energy in place that goes nowhere and achieves nothing. In Mark 6:30-34, Jesus is scheduling a retreat for his apostles and is asking them to slow down, reflect, let go of distractions and shut off the events of the past weeks and just rest… if only for a little while. Rest and use this time to just be.  

Jesus' simple invitation to "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest awhile" is not just an invitation to take an afternoon off or go on vacation although those may be important at this time. His is an invitation to loosen our shackles and climb out of the cages we've constructed from a culturally-fed belief that more is the ticket to happiness and that work is the ticket to more.  

Isn't this is one of the key elements of our Wednesday Scripture discussion and introspection?  It provides a chance to step back from all the daily things that usually consume us so that we might experience God's presence and a sense of peace and gratitude.

 Jesus wants us to rest. He wants us to recognize the pervasive obsessions of our human condition and the rat race we call modern living. He wants us to reflect on how much time we really spend together and actually enjoy what  we’ve worked so hard to attain.  

God wants us to live fully human and have an abundant life. Abundant life doesn't consist of merely more and more. "Abundant" isn't necessarily a quantitative term but a qualitative one. I believe living abundantly requires a zest for life and a passion for elements of our lives we enjoy and bring us pleasure. That said these passions like anything taken to extreme, can be toxic. The events of the past few days and the vitriolic rhetoric leading up to Saturday bears witness to this. I wonder how many people are saying "I never thought it would lead to this." Truthfully, those of us who've lived through some of the dark hours of our Nation's history are not surprised. Hate set in motion has very few outlets.

 So, how do we begin to "dial it down," "lower the heat," to use the already hackneyed media buzz-words on the lips of every politician and media hack? Maybe we might consider shutting down our TV's and computers for a day or turning off our cell phones for a morning or evening, or, saying no to one self-imposed obligation or "routine" appointment...and give thanks for our lives and the beauty in our world. After all, it’s summertime and the living is easy. Fish are jumping and the cotton is high…so hush little children, please hush.+

Two By Two

 

Jesus ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics."(Mark 6:7-13)

I've often thought how I'd feel if I had to immediately leave home on a moment’s notice with no time to take anything except the clothes I was wearing. I am reminded of some catastrophic events or acts of terror that have forced some unfortunate people to escape with nothing but the clothes on their backs and I wonder how they were able do this. Our recent history bears witness to devastating fires, acts of war and natural disasters that have required people to pick up and leave the safety of their homes without time for any preparation.

Although there have been times when I have had to travel for a family emergency or for a so-called business "crisis," and while time was of the essence, I still was able to give some thought as to what I needed to take with me. Otherwise, I was what you might call a "defensive packer." With a variety of lists in hand, covering any possible venue or destinations, I packed for a myriad of "what ifs" that rarely would ever materialize. In retrospect I often wonder why I needed to be so over-prepared, doubling up on apparel and anything else on my list. This preparedness was not necessarily limited to packing my luggage. And while I still am a “just-in -case” packer, I have managed to be less concerned with the need to over prepare.

Jesus tells his disciples to travel light and rely on the kindness of strangers. Of course, the world in the time of Jesus was much different from our modern world today. At that time, Jewish travelers would often stay in the home of another member of their community in deference to the Jewish purity code. While Jesus’ message was offered to all, we know that it was not welcomed by everyone. After all, look at the rejection Jesus experienced earlier in Mark’s story. To that end, Jesus tells them that if they did encounter resistance, they should not be discouraged or detained in their journey, but rather they should “shake the dust from their sandals” and continue on their way.

What Jesus asked of his disciples required considerable trust, in that the disciples were “commissioned” to immediately follow his instructions, without question or reservation and begin to preach the good news. Needless to say, this required implicit confidence in Jesus. 

So, how does my need to over prepare for a journey relate to this gospel? Perhaps it was a lack of confidence or trust in myself that required that my preparation was extreme? I am now more open to the knowledge that all will go well in the long run and trust God’s presence in me and others more. Think of all the unnecessary clutter in our lives that gets in the way of our relationship with one another. Richard Rohr teaches that the God in me loves the God in you. Those attachments that we once regarded as essential get in the way of our connectedness with one another, and therefore with God.

The disciples were given the authority by Jesus to preach the gospel, heal the sick and cast out demons.

What meaning can we apply to healing the sick and casting out demons today? Perhaps in liberating those who are imprisoned by sadness and depression, or giving hope to those who think that their lives no longer have any meaning we can heal the sick and “cast out demons.” However, in order for us to do this we must trust God and remain focused on what is essential. 

So while I cannot equate my learning to travel lighter with the confidence that all will go well, I'm now better prepared; I can appreciate what it means to trust and let go of the unnecessary baggage filled with past regrets and the unrealized “what ifs” of my life that get in the way of my drawing closer to God. We know that the lives of those who welcome the gospel are transformed. It's a journey.

So, what is it that gives us a greater sense of security, or when have we had to go beyond our fears and set out with very little? 

Little boy false
In search of little boy true
Will you be ever done traveling,
Always unraveling you, you?
Running away
Could lead you further astray

And as for fishing in streams
For pieces of dreams,
Those pieces will never fit
What is the sense of it?
(Pieces of Dreams, Legrand, Bergman and Bergman)
 

 

A Prophet is Not Without Honor

Because we tend to focus on Jesus' divinity and his very short temporal ministry, it's easy for us to lose sight of the fact that Jesus lived his time on earth as fully human as we. That he was fully human is the real miracle of God's incarnation in Man. While we have little knowledge of his formative years, Luke tells us that “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.” The Word became flesh and  lived among us.

Given all he had accomplished it's hard for us to understand why he was ridiculed and scorned when he returned home to Nazareth and his family. How, they wondered, could this lowly carpenter, Mary and Joseph’s son, possess such wisdom and be capable of such miraculous works! He did not fit into the perceived "caste" and image into which he was born and didn't "live down" to what was expected of him.  They did not trust him. In a culture that measured a person's worth by his place in society, Jesus had clearly raised the bar and exceeded anything one would have been expected from an itinerant carpenter. At that time carpenters were poorly regarded as they often left their families without economic security to seek work. They did not even have the respect of their own families. (Mark 6:1-6)

God’s divine revelation in creation is evident everywhere. Needless to say, God was not silent for the 14 billion years before Scriptures were written. Although He was in the world at the very beginning of time. His relationship with man was made manifest to the world in the incarnation of Jesus. "We needed a God with skin on" it to help us understand God’s unconditional love for us and he showed us how to share this love with one another. While present one with the father throughout all creation as “Christ,” the second person, Jesus, in all his humanity, enters our world to proclaim the Kingdom of God and our way back to the Father.