Working for Spiritual Food
Brethren, today’s first reading begins the process of the martyrdom of Stephen. This martyrdom concludes the first section of the Acts (exhortation to the Jews to repent and believe in the Risen Christ), for Luke sees it as the end of the second chance given to Jerusalem. Jesus attempted to convert them and they refused. Then came the second chance as the apostles attempted to convince them, and again they failed. Now Luke marks this failure with Stephen’s arrest and testimony. The Gospel now is to move on to other areas, even to the Gentiles and everyone who will believe in the one God sent not only to heal and provide for us physical healing and food but mostly spiritual food and spiritual healing.
Jesus today exhorts us to work for the food that lasts forever, not just physical food. After Jesus had fed the five thousand, we see them following him today not because they want to listen and learn from him but because they wanted the physical food. They could not see the event as a sign for the kingdom and calling them to believe in him. That's why Jesus responds to them: ‘'I tell you most solemnly, you are not looking for me because you have seen the signs but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat. Do not work for food that cannot last, but work for food that endures to eternal life...''
Often in our lives this also happens to us, we follow Jesus not because we love him above all things or that we want to always be in communion with him, but only, we come to him when faced with challenges or because we are in need. When we are OK, sometimes we don't even remember that he exists. Brethren, this is not the will of the father, and this is not why God created us. The will of the father, as Jesus tells the crowd, is to believe in the one he has sent, without any reservations and at all times. We should always long to be in spiritual communion with him and thus feeding our soul with spiritual food.
Basic Catechism (question and answer) gives an answer to the question, "Why did God create us?" as: to love him, serve him and finally be with him in eternity. So, our basic and only reason to look for Jesus should be because we love him above all things, we want to serve him always and then at last have perfect communion with him in eternity. All others like healing or comfort should come last. This gradually creates deep faith in him; for there is no faith without love. With this, we will ultimately seek God for the reason of love. We will seek Him simply because we love Him and want to love Him all the more.
St Augustine has this to say on this. “How many are those who search for Jesus only to have from him temporal favours…! Rarely do we meet someone who looks for Jesus for Jesus.” Jesus is not demanding from us a series of activities but only faith in him. Faith is not a single action; it is a life to be lived in the varying experiences of daily life. The problem of following Jesus for wrong reasons is everyday disappointments. For instance one who follows Jesus because of solving a certain problem without a primary reason of love and communion with Jesus, will surely be disappointed, because first of all there is no love of Jesus and secondly without love, there is no faith, and so no prayer will be answered. Follow Jesus for the right reason.
In our lives, there are two types of hunger for food: Spiritual hunger and Physical hunger. It is only God who can satisfy spiritual hunger and this satisfaction is fundamental in our lives, without it even if we are physically satisfied, we are empty within ourselves. We can eat physically but in a minute we are hungry again but the spiritual food which Jesus offers is everlasting, it lasts forever. We are therefore invited to always work for this food as Jesus tells us today.
How do we work for this everlasting food? When this question was posed to Jesus, he answered them, ‘This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.’ This is what we are supposed to do but with more practical actions like listening to the word of God, receiving Holy Communion, going for sacrament of reconciliation, being in communion with the church, works of charity, loving God and neighbours and practising all Christian virtues. By this we shall be working for this everlasting food which only God provides.
God will always provide if we thirst for him, if we long to be in communion with him. No need to worry on what to eat, drink or put on but if we are in a spiritual communion with God, he will always provide. Seek first the kingdom of God (not physical food, clothes, money, power, etc.) and all other things will be given unto you.
Let us Reflect today if we truly look for Jesus because of Jesus not because of our temporal favours. What about in our relationship do we love someone because of his or her fame, money, beauty, or we love them as they are. Remember, the love that lasts forever, is the one of loving someone as he or she is not for any other reason. Are we looking, first, for Spiritual Food or physical food is our priority. In which ways are we working for this everlasting food and also doing the will of the father which is to believe in Jesus Christ. If we reflect on these questions and pray over them, we will find ourselves in the way to obtain the Everlasting food.
Let us Pray
That Jesus may help us to truly seek him and to always work for the Everlasting Food. May he send his Holy Spirit to pilot us always so that we may grow in faith and belief in his Holy Name and at last rejoice with the Angels as we praise him and the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Blessed Easter season
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