2nd Week of Easter, Friday, May 2
Acts 5:34-42 / John 6:1-15
From today and until next Saturday (8 days), the Eucharistic
discourse of Jesus, as given in John 6 from the multiplication of bread. Jesus
confronts us with the question: “Why are you looking for me?” Why are we
looking for God, for Jesus? Is it merely for the things he gives us? We receive
much from God, but do we look for Jesus himself, for what he means in our
lives? Let us look to get closer to him and to become more like him. He asks us
for faith in his person and mission.
****
Jesus feeds 5,000 people; He multiplied five loaves.
Almost a century ago, two men were on a train in France. The
older man was reading the Bible story of the multiplication of the loaves.
Noticing this, the younger man said, "Pardon me, sir, but do you really
believe what you're reading?" "Yes," said the older
man, "don't you believe it?"
"No," said the younger man. "I'm a scientist,
and that story goes against all scientific laws." At this point the train
slowed down. "This is my station," said the young man. "Nice
talking to you, Mr "Pasteur," said the older man, "Louis
Pasteur." He was one of the world's greatest scientists.
***
How do we handle faith questions when they seem to conflict
with science? "A little science and faith is far; A lot of science and
faith is near." Anonymous
****
Jerusalem had a University where religion in all its aspects
was taught. The most outstanding professor there was Gamaliel. Even Paul had
been his student certainly the most famous and he acknowledged having learnt a
lot from him. Gamaliel had formed him, he said (Acts 22.3). He was a member of
the Sanhedrin, a thoughtful, wise, discerning, pious man. He remembered the
trial of Jesus with dismay and regret. He was anxious to avoid another
miscarriage of justice, another failure of his court. He felt the rebuke of
Peter that he had to obey God more, as if it had been addressed to himself.
Perhaps not many members of the Sanhedrin shared his opinion. But he voiced it
and with all the respect and influence he enjoyed, he was understood and
accepted. God is the Lord of history. A movement can only succeed when God is
with it. If God is with it, it will succeed, whatever man might attempt. The
future belongs to those who, with joy and the conviction of their faith, bring
to men the message of Jesus.
***
In its 2000 over years of existence, the Church had
undergone many trials and tribulations. When the Church was split into the
Eastern and Western Church in 1054, people thought it was the end of
Christianity. During the 16th century when the Church was corroding from
corruption and immoral practices, and when the Protestant Reformation came
along, people thought it was the end of the Church. In this present time, we
hear of the terrible scandals in the Church, and we begin to get shaken. We
wonder what has become of the Church and what is the Church all about?
Yet, we cannot negate the fact that the Church is divine as well as human. As
Gamaliel puts it in the 1st reading - if this is of human origin, it will break
up of its own accord. We are crushed and confused by the scandals of the
Church. Yet, we still have the mission of feeding those who still hold on to
their belief in God and in the Church. God has given us the five loaves and two
fish. We cannot just sit there and rot with it. With the grace of God, we must
rise and embark on the mission of feeding and healing those whose faith was
shaken and shattered by the scandals.
We only need to entrust ourselves into the hands of God who is merciful and
compassionate.
***
A sign worked by Jesus and told much in detail by all the
evangelists is the multiplication of the bread. In all the Gospels, it is a
sign of Jesus’ sharing himself, and even more so, a figure of Jesus’ continuing
self-gift in the Eucharist. What about the disciple? Let us not forget that the
Eucharist is also the sign and the prefiguration, the token of Jesus’ total
self-giving on the cross.
***
Prayer
Lord, our God, your Son, Jesus, fed those who followed him
in the desert and they received as much as they wanted. May we know and be
convinced that he can fill our own emptiness not just with gifts that fill our
need of the moment, but with himself, and may we accept him eagerly, for he is
our Lord forever. Amen
