Monday of 3rd Week of Easter 11th April 2016
“Jesus said to them : ’You are looking for me because you have eaten bread to your fill; work for the food that can be kept until eternal life.”
Ac. 6 8-15 Ps. 118 Jn. 6, 22-29
“The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side saw that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that the disciples had not sett off by themselves.Other boats, however, had put in from Tiberius, near the place here the bread had been eaten. When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into those boats and crossed to Capernaum to look for Jesus.”
After the multiplication of bread, the crowd begins to seek Jesus to make him king, and in their quest they go as far as Capernaum. They wanted to use Jesus to answer their human needs, using him for their political ends. Jesus is no dupe. He knows how they are unable to read the signs of the multiplication of the loaves. He announces that what brings nourishment to man is a spiritual nourishment which allows him to live for eternity. It is Jesus who gives this nourishment, He wants them to grow on the level of faith.
We understand how our Pope Francis encourages us to work at re-evangelizing a world that doesn’t have the right motivations to come to God.
We need to be convinced of the spiritual well-being that Jesus brings and which we want to give to the world. But we are always in quest of security, and Jesus, who multiplies the loaves, is propitious as we seek it -what is more, he is clothed with the Divine. This is how the multiplication of the loaves provokes the crowd to desire Jesus for their king!
"When they found him on the other side, they said to him, ’Rabbi, when did you come here?’ Jesus answered,’ In all truth I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you have seen the signs but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat. Do not work for food that goes bad, but work for food that endures for
eternal life, which the Son of man will give you, for on him, the Father, God Himself, has set his seal.’"
Jesus helps us in our choices, so that they contribute to our deeper happiness.
He questions us about aspirations that do us good by taking us to a beyond that makes us better in serving our sisters and brothers.
Jesus calls us in a mysterious way to move towards the Kingdom of God. If he nourishes us, it is not so that we give up our work and our homes, it is so as to speak to us about God.
Jesus, who had multiplied the loaves, came to bring us to have faith in the Kingdom of God. He came to tell us that what is essential in life is found elsewhere, and that we mustn’t exhaust our strength in what is passing but in something that lasts and is fulfilling.
He announces the mystery of the Bread of Life, of God’s work. In this way . So Saint John prepares us to receive the mystery of the Eucharist which is a path of faith.
“Then they said to him ’What must we do if we are to carry out God’s work? ’Jesus gave them this answer, ’This is carrying out God’s work : you must believe in the One he has sent.’”
There is a food that is nourishment, one that is satisfying, not leaving us hungry.
Jesus draws our attention to the risk of letting ourselves be completely invaded by daily concerns. He opposes what is perishable, on its way to destruction, to what is bearer of life, for ever more, that is, what is going to last for "eternity.’
The crowd understands this and asks Jesus : ’What can we do?’ Jesus answers that there is nothing to do, we need to be in a trusting relationship with God!
Jesus invites us to be ourselves in front of God, under the benevolent gaze of the Father and in a state of confidence.
The way is opened up for us towards peace. Jesus invites us to be in his Presence, for oneself and also for those who are around us. To hear Jesus’s call is ’God’s work’, it is that we believe, it is faith that has us adhere to the mystery of Jesus who gives His Life.
God really has come to us, he speaks to us, touches us and from now on takes us into a whole new life that is essentially a life of Love.
To live from the Life of Christ, to be plunged in His death and Resurrection means to live from His Love in us by the Holy Spirit. Our faith finds its fullness in Christ, God is a Love that engages a whole life. Following Jesus in all he tells us means to follow Him as far as the Resurrection and this leads us to Pentecost.
Let us ask to follow Christ and desire nothing else than the will of the Father.
Monday of 3rd Week of Easter
“The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side saw that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that the disciples had not sett off by themselves.Other boats, however, had put in from Tiberius, near the place here the bread had been eaten. When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into those boats and crossed to Caphernaum to look for Jesus.”
After the multiplication of bread, the crowd begins to seek Jesus to make him king, and in their quest they go as far as Capharnuum. We are still looking for security.Jesus who had multiplied the bread is dressed with the divine. The multiplication of bread provokes the crowd into wanting Jesus to be King! So Jesus sends his disciples away, they who had been ’contaminated’ by ideas of facility and power given by the crowd.He goes off by himself on the mountain to pray. The disciples, in the middle of the lake are taken up in a huge storm, they have forgotten about everything else. Jesus comes towards them, saying,’ Don’t be afraid, it’s me.’ They are going to need the Presence of God in the Person of Jesus who will give them back their Peace.They had put their hope in Jesus but their faith has to deepen, it has to become more rooted in his Person.
“When they found him on the other side, they said to him, ’Rabbi, when did you come here?’ Jesus answered,’ In all truth I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you have seen the signs but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat. Do not work for food that goes bad, but work for food that endures for eternal life, which the son of man will give you, for on him, the Father, God Himself, has set his seal.’”
These people had wanted to subject what is divine to their human needs.History reveals to us the attempts that have been made to use what is divine for political motives! Jesus is not dupe. He knows they had not been able to read the sign of the multiplication of the Bread. He announces that what nourishes man is spiritual food and it is this food that allows us to live forever. This food is given to
us through Jesus. Everything that has us grow in faith in him is a food in which we ought to invest all our energies. The crowd asks Jesus to defend himself. ’Where did you go to? ’Jesus asks them, “You are looking for me not because you have seen the signs but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat.Do not look for food that goes bad, but work for food that endures for eternal life.” Jesus who multiplies the bread, also came to give the Faith in the Kingdom of God.He announces the mystery of the Bread of Life, God’s Work. In this way St John prepares us to receive the mystery of the Eucharist which is a path of faith.
“Then they said to him ’What must we do if we are to carry out God’s work? ’Jesus gave them this answer, ’This is carrying out God’s work : you must believe in the One he has sent.’”
The work of God is that we believe, it is the faith that has us adhere to the Mystery of Jesus who gives his Life. God has really come to us , he spoke to us and touched us and now he leads us into a brand new life which is essentially a life of love. To live fro the life of Christ, to be plunged into his death and resurrection is to live from his Love in us through the Holy Spirit. Our faith finds its fullness in Christ. God is a Love to whom we commit the whole of our lives. If we follow Jesus in everything he did, we go with him as far as the Resurrection which leads us to Pentecost. The first Christians would never have been able to announce the mystery of the Resurrection of Jesus! The Holy Spirit is given to us in fullness so that we be his true witnesses, martyrs of Christ. The second Vatican Council reminds us :’ The Church knows perfectly well that it is servant only of God and that God alone can give the response to the deepest desires in the human heart. The human heart can never be fully satisfied with earthly food.’