Monday 27th April 2020
Third week of Easter
Acts 6:8-15, John 6:22-29
Many of us Christians are not
very sure what propels us towards Jesus and his Church. We seem to only seek
Jesus because we know that he can solve our problems. Many people come to the
Church or take some positions in the Church because of what they will gain.
They get enticed with the glamour and benefits of following Jesus, but are not
really concerned about their souls. Such people only see the Christian faith as
an avenue to feed themselves.
This is why Jesus was angry with the crowd that came to look for him in
the gospel reading of today. Many of them did not come to Jesus because they
had enjoyed his preaching some days before, but because he had fed them with
bread and fish, and they had come for more. They saw Jesus as one who will
quench their hunger for food.
This scenario had made the
prophet Isaiah advice that we should not work for the food that perishes, but
for what endures forever (Isaiah 55:2). Money and material things can only
satisfy our physical needs, but they cannot truly satisfy us. Instead of
spending all our time and energy on acquiring earthly things, we should also
think of what will follow us beyond this world.
In the first reading, we see that
Stephen was not concerned about earthly satisfaction, he worked for what
endures forever, therefore he was not afraid of his opponents who wanted to set
him at enmity with the people by falsifying his teachings. If you are following
Jesus or going to the Church because of what you will gain, you will be disappointed
here on earth and thereafter in heaven. May God give us the grace to work for
the food that lasts forever. Amen. God help us.
Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP
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