Breads

Today’s Gospel Text:  Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; 39 and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:35-40

Reflection: I am often fascinated by the types of bread that are available in the market place.

There could be plain bread or sliced loaf or designed bread or spiced up breads or sweetened bread or diet bread or hand bread or bread made from flours of various grains or bread that are specifically fortified with vitamins or there are the many stuffed varieties, etc., etc.,

It is the basic ingredient of every meal and no meal seems complete without bread. 

In the gospel passage we have Jesus positioning himself as the Bread of Life.

But isn’t it the quality of all breads to give life; for we can’t survive without eating and eat we must in order to survive.  

Hence the bread winner is such an important member of the family that apart from him the dependents would almost be on the streets begging for their daily food.

True, it is the quality of bread to give life but when Jesus claims that he is the Bread of Life, he is claiming life and life and even life eternal, which any bread of this world cannot and never can provide except Jesus.

One of the qualities of this bread that Jesus will give is that we will not hunger for eternal life anymore, not because it will quench our desire for it; a desire in every human heart, but instead it will satisfy this desire for the eternal life.

Each one who has found it will assert in their hearts that they have found the source of eternal life and shall eat and be satisfied.

Whereas, while Adam ate of the fruit for the same purpose, so as too desire the eternity of God but Jesus gives of himself on the tree of life (cross) so that we may live in the very life of God eternal.

Prayer:  Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, the son of man whom thou hast made strong for thyself! Then we will never turn back from thee; give us life, and we will call on thy name! Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let thy face shine, that we may be saved! Ps 80:17-19

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You too Can

Today’s Gospel Text:  As he said this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!" 28 But he said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" Luke 11:27-28

Reflection: Some times we hear noble statements from the mouths of the great or even the ordinary and it may require a correction. Some are apparently wise statements and yet when tested against sound knowledge will not stand the test of truth.

Very rarely do we set about discerning the veracity of these statement.

What was wrong with the statement that this woman made concerning Jesus?

"Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!"

Let’s analyze what she could possibly been saying: Lord Jesus you are so great and mighty, you have been doing such a wonderful job that I almost envy the womb that bore you and the breast that was suckled by you. I wish I was that mother.

Wow! This desire for greatness can be the desire of any human being and it is never bad to have noble or great desires but the motivation; purpose, goal and aim of all those desires are important.

Any human being could come out with similar statements communicating an envy or praise of another.

In such a situation Jesus puts things on the right trail: If you really want to be great or if you feel that that is greatness and the reason to be blessed, then you are narrowing my presence and purpose of my coming on this earth to only one creature who is indeed great. I tell you, when I announce to you the message and you respond well by accepting it then you too can be great, mighty and powerful.

It’s simple: “….hear the word of God and keep it!"

Further Jesus must have meant: The womb that bore me did it and the one whose breast I sucked did it.

I may not be able to re-enter any womb again and again but I do enter the womb of your hearts and minds and make you ready to be my instruments and give the pure milk of my salvation, to those who accept my word.

How? “Hear the word of God and keep it!"

Prayer: Let thy word O Lord always find room in the womb of my heart, so that I may bear you to the world.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

 

Rejoice in his desire

Today’s Scripture: And he went up on the mountain, and called to him those whom he desired; and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve, to be with him, and to be sent out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons: 16 Simon whom he surnamed Peter; 17 James the son of Zeb'edee and John the brother of James, whom he surnamed Bo-aner'ges, that is, sons of thunder; 18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Mark 3:13-19

Reflection: In a close knit family, children often find that they are discriminated against by their parents; it is a choice of one above the other. This same problem exists in our society or community too; one individual gains precedence or extra attention over the other. This often leaves the one’s who have not received feel a sense of rejection and neglect. 

Our mind and our desire can create great upheaval in our surroundings, i.e. families and communities and nations, over such discrimination's.

How can God call those whom he desired? Isn’t he being unjust?  

Some may try and explain this away by rationalizing the faith and claiming that God does not discriminate and end with a full stop. But the message is this: God does not discriminate but we who read God through our vision will always feel discriminated against because we see things inadequately.

When Jesus desires, he doesn’t desire as we desire with all our limitations and inadequacies and thus end up discriminating but with complete knowledge of the human heart which he searches and according to the will of his Father. Thus God’s desire is based on right judgment unlike human judgment,

Prayer:  Lord, May I honour and respect your will in my life by first seeking to recognize it.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us