Reflection for MONDAY 3RD WEEK OF EASTER

By

Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Director, Social Action Movement, Don Bosco Bidar

Meditative Reading of Today's WORD of GOD 


 John 6: 22 - 29 

Do not work for food that cannot last, but for food that endures to eternal life

After Jesus had fed the five thousand, his disciples saw him walking on the water. Next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side saw that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that the disciples had set off by themselves. Other boats, however, had put in from Tiberias, near the place where the bread had been eaten. When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into those boats and crossed to Capernaum to look for Jesus. When they found him on the other side, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’

  Jesus answered:

‘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,

the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you,

for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal.’

Then they said to him, ‘What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?’ Jesus gave them this answer, ‘This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.’

Reflection on the readings 

Seeing Beneath the Surface

We can See More in People if We Take the Trouble to Really Look Beneath the Surface. Looking on the Face of Stephen, the Sanhedrin Saw It Glowing, like the Face of an Angel. In the Gospel JESUS Tells the Crowd: *“U are Not Looking for ME because U have Seen Signs but because U have Eaten Your Fill of the Loaves.” *

Each of Us Looks at the World in Different Ways: with Wide Interest or through a Narrow Lens; with a Large heart , Seeing Signs of Goodness Everywhere, or with a Narrow Focus on Our Personal Concerns; with Faith that Accepts even Miracles or with Pessimism that Sees only the Worst in Things. 

As a Zealous Disciple, Stephen was Chosen as a Deacon to Work on Behalf of the Poor in the Community. He Spent His Time & Energy Caring for the Needy but He also Did Some Preaching of the Christian Faith. For This He was Dragged Before the Sanhedrin as an Enemy of the Jewish Religion. The Priestly Caste Felt It Worthwhile to Argue about the Status of the Temple as the church of GOD, while the Poor were Going Hungry. The Sanhedrin Members Looked at a Saint & Condemned Him as a Sinner. Instead of Recognising the Face of a Saint They Rejected Him as the Devil Incarnate.

When JESUS Fed the Hungry People in the Desert, They were Concerned only about Their Immediate Needs. They Did Not Trust the Goodness of GOD who Cares for Them; Nor Did They Think of Sharing with Others whatever Food They Had. 

They Did Not Listen Deeply to the LORD'S Words, to Discover Their Implications for Daily Life. Our CHURCH Links the Multiplication of bread and fish with the Gift of the Eucharist, JESUS' very Own Body & Blood Given for the Life of the World.

There is a Great Difference Between Ordinary bread with a Short Shelf- Life that Grows Stale & Another Food that Leads to Eternal Life. JESUS Fed the People with bread and fish, 

 Aware that Normal Hunger must be Satisfied. 

Then, as People Continued Looking for still More to Eat, HE Invited Them to Look for what would Feed Their Deeper Hunger. 

HE Gave Them More than bread, Nourishing Them with GOD'S Own Presence. We Need Material Food because We are Material Beings, but Our Search must Go Deeper. 

There is More to Life than Satisfying Our Physical Desires. There is a Deeper Hunger that must be Met if We are to Live Life to the Full & Be Fully at Peace.

JESUS Offers Us the Spiritual Food that can Satisfy the Hunger of Our hearts . 

Our Deepest Seeking is Leading Us TOWARDS GOD. 


           Good Morning

            God bless

Have a nice day and lovely week ahead.