18th Sunday in Ordinary time

Readings

Exodus 16:2-4,12-15
Ephesians 4:17,20-24
John 6:24-35

Reflection

In today’s gospel, the people are hungry to hear Jesus preach and teach. Since they could not find Jesus or his disciples, many of them got into boats and went to Capernaum to look for him. When they found him, they asked him: “When did you get here?” Why did they ask him this particular question? They had found him and wasn’t that what they had hoped for? Perhaps they did not know what else to say to Jesus.

Jesus says to them: “You are looking for me not because you saw signs and wonders. You come to me only because you ate your fill of the loaves!” Jesus then tells them not to work for “food that perishes but rather for food that will truly satisfy your (spiritual) hunger.”

Today may be a good day to take some time and ask ourselves: why do we come to Jesus? Do we have an agenda when we come to Jesus? Do we give him a laundry list of requests? Or do we come and spend time with him simply because we long to be in his presence? I pray it is the latter!

Giltus Mathias CP