Monday, August 3, 2009

RENEWsletter for August 9, 2009 - 19th Ordinary

Dear Renewed People--
The theme this week seems to be about feeding. God makes sure we have enough food when we trust in him -- both physical and spiritual food. Sometimes, we 21st century people are too busy even to eat. Skipping a physical meal is not good, but may not be disastrous. Skipping too many spiritual meals, can be awfully hard on the soul.

The readings for this coming Sunday, the Nineteenth in Ordinary Time, are on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/080909.shtml, and in your Bible at:

1 Kings 19.4-8
Psalm 34.2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Ephesians 4.30-5.2
John 6.41-51

Elijah, in the First Reading, was weary. Tired, hungry, thirsty, discouraged, he had given up. "Enough, already!" he cried. "I'm through, spent, no better than my ancestors. Take my life. I'm no good to you anymore" (1 Kings 19.4). Have you ever felt like that? I have. But God gives us what we need, not always what we ask for. Elijah needed rest, food, water, encouragement. And that's what God gave him. It took awhile... two naps... two meals (vs. 5-8). But it worked, and Elijah found the strength, and the heart! to go on (v. 8).

The Responsorial Psalm exhorts us to "taste and see how good the Lord is" (Ps. 34.9). This is spiritual food we're talking about here. Food that delivers us from all our fears (v. 5). Food that makes our faces radiant with joy (v. 6). As in Elijah's case, God doesn't force-feed us. But he offers. We can refuse to try a taste of his blessings, but if we taste, we find that the Lord is, indeed, very good.

We find in the Second Reading that some of the good "food" we are offered consists of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness (Eph. 4.32). When we refuse, Paul says, we grieve the Holy Spirit (v. 30). Christ offered himself to purchase our freedom from bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, reviling, malice (v. 31) -- all fruits of fear. When we accept his spiritual feeding, we find fear gone and ourselves living in love. Our template to follow in trying to live in love, is Christ himself (ch. 5, v. 2) who first loved us.

John, in the Gospel Reading, quotes Jesus. "I am the living bread..." (John 6.41 & 51). When he was on earth, he offered physical bread as well. This "free lunch" drew the crowds. It was truly a free lunch and it included both physical and spiritual bread. Jesus explained that the spiritual bread he offered was a thing God was trying to teach us (v. 45), that whoever believes in the One sent by God would have eternal life (v. 47). But, true to form, Christ never forced the living bread on anyone. That would violate our free will. When God created us "a little lower than the angels" (Psalm 8:5) and gave us free will, he tied his own hands behind his back. He lets us reject him, as some did in the present passage (v. 42). But if we, of our own free will, accept the living bread, our souls are nourished and never again have to face spiritual hunger (vs. 48-50).

I'd say that's a pretty good deal for a Free Lunch!

Hope you're all having a good, filling week.
Randy
"Those who refuse the Living Bread say there's no such thing as a free lunch!"

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