2 Kings 4:42-44 Ephesians 4:1-6 John 6:1-15
A clue to better understand and appreciate today’s readings is found in the Responsorial Psalm, the refrain of which is: “The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.” This is taken from Psalm 145. When you examine this refrain, in conjunction with both the first reading and today’s gospel passage, you may see a clear pattern. In each case, the Lord provides “miracle nourishment” in order to feed a crowd of people - starting with only a small portion of food. In the reading from 2 Kings, Elisha is the communicator of God’s will, in John’s Gospel, Jesus himself is the actor.
Of interest is the fact that, in the case of the gospel, Jesus is also presenting much more than simply a miraculous amount of food. At the time of this event, he has been preaching consistently of the Reign of God - trying to tell the crowds who gather to hear the good news that it is He, the Lord, his very presence with them, that is the Living Bread, come down from heaven. Stephen Lampe, in the commentary he submits for this Sunday, published in the Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers and Proclaimers of the Word (Liturgy Training Publications - 2023) eloquently writes: “…in spite of the sign (the miracle), the people’s coming to faith is incomplete. The crowd is looking for a Moses-like prophet with horizons as limited as theirs, and certainly not for the Bread of Life that is come down from heaven.” They have a long way to go in order to understand the implications of Jesus’ message - a lot of growing (in faith) to do.
Aren’t we all a bit like the crowd that gathered on the hillside that day. Sure, we say we have faith; but do we truly understand what it means to have the kind of faith in God that Jesus Christ is calling us to? When I ask myself that question, I often come up short. The message of Jesus is a message of love and a message of peace. And sacred scripture tells us that there is no peace without justice. Previously in this column, I recounted a great bumper sticker I was given years ago to attach to the bumper of my car. It read: “If you want peace, work for justice.” That sentence has been attributed to several authors over the years, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. God knows (and so do we, if we are honest) that we are a long way from achieving justice in our communities, our nation and our world.
But our’s is not to despair - simply to do what we think and feel God is calling us to do. Then, as today’s psalm suggests, have faith in the hand of the Lord!
by : Bill Miller
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