Jesus
came into the world to be the great “gatherer”: uniting all those whom the
Father invited to belong to his kingdom: which is virtually everyone, but
specifically, anyone who would simply believe
in the sending of his own Son into the world for its salvation, belief in the
person of his Son!
The great act of redemption
and salvation was Jesus’ death on the cross and subsequent resurrection from
the dead: a sure sign of hope for all life’s tragedies and inconsistencies; a
sure remedy for all of the hurts of the human heart!
It is the proclamation of this
love-dynamic that caused great joy among the people of Jerusalem and adjacent
communities (in the midst of persecutions), and then later the whole world: it
was a powerful yet simple message:
believe in what God has so compassionately and lovingly done for you and your
eternal welfare: believe in the existence of and activity of his Son and you
will have eternal life, you will be raised up on the last day!
The gospel reading from St.
John today adds another dimension to this exhortation on the part of the
Apostles: the bread of life, the Eucharistic food
of men and angels will sustain and fortify belief, and empower those
who eat it to be true and authentic witnesses in the world, especially where
witness is needed: among the wandering, lost and suffering poor sheep: our
brothers and sisters!
May we bring the HOPE of God’s
care to those we can today; and thus strengthen our own faith and ability to do
so! And then the whole earth will cry out
to God with joy!
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