+ Our readings today can reorient us to the realities
involved in everyday life, but not, to everyday life in “the world,” with its
machinations and manifestations of greed, selfishness, self-centeredness, bigotry,
lies and uncharity; but what I speak of is the supernatural above-this-world realities of the mysteries of Christ, in fact life in the Mystical Body of Christ,
a life that the world does not know, does not care to know, and will be as
sorry as can be, someday, for not budging an inch in its ignorant, arrogant stance.
The Apostles, in the first
reading, who were meeting the challenges of the day on a supernatural, rather
than natural plane, knew they could not stop preaching about Jesus – sharing the
good news of the glory that was even now being revealed about him, and about us
who are invited to share in his victories.
And so, Gamaliel, a very wise
teacher of the law, persuaded the rest of the Sanhedrin, the governing body of
the Jews, to simply “give it time,” – men, just give it time, for if what these
men on fire are earthbound, their movement will die out, and die out quickly, but
if it is of God, then nothing we can do can withstand it, and we would not want
to tangle with God, not at all.
And so, the Apostles were let
go – and their message, and the reality of the Risen Jesus of whom they
preached did not die out, but in fact only got stronger and stronger as more
and more came to believe and act as though they did believe.
In the gospel passage today we
see Jesus feeding the five thousand with a very limited resource of loaves and
fishes – which is the manifestation of the Eucharistic Presence of Jesus that
would be available as “daily bread” so that the Movement of Christian witness
and the power of Love to change the course of history would increases day by
day, until the end of the age.
Brothers and sisters, we are a
part of that forward movement of the building up of the Body of Christ to Full
Stature – so that it may be assimilated at the end of the age – into the Heart
of Christ, who is always assimilated in the Heart of His Divine Father. And
being fed by this Eucharistic Food at this Mass – we arm ourselves for the
challenges, and joys of the day, knowing that what we share, with only
strengthen and build up those with whom we come into contact, the more freely
and confidently we simply are ourselves: redeemed children of God!
The Lord is our light and our
salvation! Help us, Lord, to share you with others today! Amen.
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