Reflection on Today's Readings, 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, August 1st, 2021
Texts: Ex. l6:2-4.12-15; Ps. 78:3.4bc.23-25.54; Eph. 4:17.20-24; John 6:24-35
Today, Jesus says to us, "Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life." Jesus had just fed the people with five loaves of barley and two fish. When they did not see Him, they started to look for Him. They were following Jesus Christ because of what to eat. Hence, Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves." The people did not understand what the miracle of the feeding mean. This reminds us to always seek the understanding and knowledge of God's deeds. When we understand His deeds, we will seek Him, not because of food, miracle, power or money but salvation.
Looking at what happens in the Church and our ways of life, we cannot but pause to ask: What do people seek by going to Church? What do they labour for? This question is so important because it is so difficult to reconcile our faith with our ways of life. Our path, sometimes, is so far from being the path of salvation; by our ways of life we cannot be said to believe in Jesus Christ. Some people fight over position and power as if that is the purpose of their being in the Church. Such people are bitter whenever they are not given post. They fight everybody and refuse to offer their help again. Some people are so cold and they are not ready to do anything. Some people fight over money with all their strength as if that is the reason for seeking God. We do some other things that cannot be reconciled with our faith.
When we seek God because of things other than salvation, our lives will always remain the same; we will always stick to our old ways of lives. If it is because of money that we seek God we will not see any reason to change our ways of lives. Today's first reading shows that the people of Israel followed God because of their needs. Whenever their needs were not met they started to complain against Moses and Aaron. The people refused to let go their old ways of lives. They said, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” They followed God because of miracle and so stick to their old ways of life. Today's second reading calls us to put off our old selves and embrace a new life. St. Paul, in the second reading, says, "Put off the old man that belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." Those who seek God sincerely desire righteousness and holiness; they are intent on being righteous and holy. We seek God in righteousness and holiness. This is a call to seek salvation; it is by seeking salvation that we see the need to change our ways of lives. We seek salvation by our faith in Jesus Christ. We have faith in Jesus Christ when we hold His gospel dear to our hearts and practice them. Jesus says, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
The food that endures to eternal life is the Holy Eucharist. We labour for Holy Eucharist is righteousness and holiness. The food benefits us when we live in righteousness and holiness. It is not good to receive Holy Communion in mortal sin. When we receive Holy Communion we need to be open to God's grace and new life presented by the Holy Eucharist. The new life presented by the Holy Eucharist is the life of Charity, which manifests in righteousness and holiness.
Lord our God, we thank You for Your love, grant that we may not labour in vain in Your Church. Amen.
HAPPY NEW MONTH
May the month of August be for you month of joy, progress, success, and fulfilment; may the Lord show you His favour and love in this month and beyond. Amen.
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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