21ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

Joshua 24:1-2.15-18
Psalm 33:2-3.16-23
Ephesians 5:21-32
John 6:60-69

A TIME TO DECIDE

Faith is a personal adherence to God. To believe in God must be a free and conscious act, knowing it leads to freedom and salvation. Thus, how we live our life depends on our choice to believe or not to believe.

The people of Israel had arrived at the Promised Land. Thus, Joshua invited them to renew their commitment to God. When asked to choose whom they wish to serve, the people of Israel affirmed their resolution to worship the Lord their God who had saved them from slavery in Egypt (Jos. 24:1-2.15-18).

In the gospel, we are presented with the last section of the sixth chapter of John’s gospel. When the crowds decided not to go with Jesus, because his declarations about the Bread of Life were unacceptable to them, he asked the Twelve: “What about you, do you want to go away too?” To this, Simon Peter answered: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:60-69).

Sometimes, we need to make such leap of faith, to stand by Jesus and hold unto him. When the enthusiasm of our commitment begins to wane, when doubts begin to set in and tiredness weighs us down, when strong winds begin to blow and the world rages around us, and when despair takes over, we need to say “Lord, to whom shall we go?” Do not quit; do not give up. Hold unto Jesus.

However, we must know that deciding to stay with Christ is to allow him to give a new orientation and meaning to our life. It is to choose the way of selfless love and sacrifice, especially within the family. We must no longer live to dominate others but to love them, care for them and respect them. In doing so, our families or homes will become a source of healing, fulfilment and sanctification (Eph. 5:21-32). 
May the Lord bless and keep all of us. Amen.

TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

Proverb 9:1-6
Psalm 33:2-3.10-15
Ephesians 5:15-20
John 6:51-58

THE MYSTERY WE CELEBRATE AT MASS

Today we come to the core of Jesus’ teaching on the Bread of life. At Holy Mass, we often hear words like “…Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb.” Or again, “the body of Christ”, “the Blood of Christ;” and we respond “Amen”. But do we really understand these words? Do we believe them? The Jews understood very well what Jesus meant when he said he would give them his flesh to eat. They understood he meant his own body and blood. So they argued saying: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” They were neither cannibals nor blood drinkers. That was an abomination.

But Jesus became more emphatic: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” Again, “For my flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed”. And this is the mystery we celebrate in the Eucharist. St John Chrysostom said: “What we believe is not the same as what we see. For one thing we see is bread and wine, and another we believe is the Body and blood of our Lord. And such is our mystery.”

It is therefore Jesus Christ himself that we receive in the Holy Communion. The words from the book of Proverbs must always resonate in our ears: “come and eat, drink the wine I have prepared.” “Taste and see how good is the Lord!” says the Psalmist. This is an invitation we must eagerly yearn to hear and accept gladly if we really understand what it means.

And whenever we eat this bread and drink this wine, we become untied with Christ. We become one with him. We dwell in him and he in us. Holy Communion creates therefore a real life giving union with Christ and with one another.
May the Lord blesé and keep all of us. Amen

NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

1Kings 19:4-8 
Psalm 34 
Ephesians 4:30-5:2 
John 6:41-51

NOURISHMENT FROM ABOVE

Today, Jesus continues his catechesis on the Bread of Life as presented in the sixth chapter of John’s gospel. St Paul exhorts his audience not to grieve the Holy Spirit, but rather imitate God in his goodness and love. The first reading presents us the figure of the prophet Elijah.

The prophet Elijah was escaping the wrath of Jezebel who sought to kill him for having exterminated the prophets of Baal. The prophet flew therefore to save his life. But hunger and tiredness made him rather seek for death: “Lord, I have had enough. Take my life”, he said. But God gave him food and drink to re-energize him for the journey ahead of him.

In the Gospel, the Jews, knowing well the family background of Jesus, complained about him, for he said he is the bread that came from heaven. Thus, Jesus reiterates his statement by adding that the bread given for the life of the world is his own body. Jesus meant what he said: in the Eucharist, we receive the Body of Christ. As such, the Eucharist communicates to us the very life of Jesus. It gives meaning to our life and sows in us the seed of eternal life.

Therefore, the secret of a happy, fulfilled and meaningful life, a life full of hope amidst the crosses and difficulties of this life is in Jesus. In the Eucharist we celebrate Jesus Christ who offers himself to us. And the foundation of this self-giving is love.

Meanwhile, love puts away every bitterness, anger, wrangling and slander. Love is kind, generous, forgiving and tender. It is in this light that the exhortation of St Paul in the second reading is to be understood. We are children of God; we must therefore live our lives as such.

Let us pray, therefore, that God may strengthen and renew us through the nourishment we receive in the Eucharist. And so, we may journey with him and radiate his love in our homes and communities. Amen

EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

Exodus 16:2-4.12-15
Psalm 77
Ephesians 4:17.20-24
John 6:24-35

SEARCHING FOR JESUS CHRIST

Why do we go to church? Why do we need to believe in Jesus? Are we miracles-driven Christians or faith-driven Christians? These are few questions we are invited to reflect upon today.

In effect, today’s gospel, which is a continuation of last Sunday’s gospel reading, invites us to make a deeper reflection on the reasons why  we are Christians. People go to church because they get satisfied with the singing and preaching during our celebrations. Others go to look for miracles. Still others go because they “should” be there to avoid social tagging. So, “I tell you solemnly, you are not looking for me because you have seen signs, but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat”.

Jesus had just fed 5,000 people with little bread and fish. But the people could not get him. In much similar way, the Israelites had just passed miraculously through the red sea dry-shod and their enemies drown in the sea. But they still murmured against Moses and God because they were hungry. They forgot that God could feed them from nothing.

This is common among us. We easily and quickly forget the wonderful things God has done and continues to do in our lives, especially when we are faced with challenges and obstacles. And this drives us away from Christ, looking for miracles elsewhere. We go to mallams and fetish priests that provide quick answers to our problems. We lose faith in him, who is really present in the Eucharist. The Jesus who fed the people and worked signs and wonders is the same Jesus in the Eucharist.

Therefore, like St Paul in the second reading, “I want to urge you in the name of the Lord, not to go on living the aimless kind of life that pagans live”. Do not go looking for miracles. You yourself are a wonderful miracle in this world. Put aside your illusory desires and follow Jesus in faith. Trust in him and your life will never be the same.
Amen