Jesus teaches a difficult truth: don’t have passion for things that are passing, but for those realities that are eternal. We tend to settle for that which is fleeting and temporary: our external looks, our possessions, our health, even our relationships. The people in today’s gospel were searching for Jesus, not to find HIM, but to have him work another miracle to feed hungry stomachs.
The food that feeds us physically is absolutely necessary for every human being; hungry stomachs must become an oxymoron. But making certain every person has adequate and nutritious food is the bare minimum. Hungry hearts and feeding these hearts is more imperative, for if our hearts are fed with food that lasts forever, Christ’s Body and Blood, we will become even more aware of the need to make certain that all people can feed their hungry stomachs.
Life, this life, is one that is truly temporary, ever changing, fragile and short. Nothing this side of Eden lasts, except the faith we have in Christ and the love which carries us into paradise. Christ is calling us, YOU, to set your hearts on higher realms by never clinging to the people or things in your life which will be taken away. Love rooted in Christ, the Person of Christ, not the miracles, must become the passionate focus of our lives.
Peace,
Fr. Frank