Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Friends!

We’re on John chapter 6 again for the third consecutive Sunday. This chapter is famous for the Discourse of the Bread of Life. First came the miracle (sign) of the multiplication if the loaves, and then comes the explanation, Jesus teaching us how to interpret the sign.

The message is: Jesus speaks of himself as the true Bread come down from heaven, which is capable of keeping people alive not for a moment or on a stretch of a journey but for ever. How can He give us life? By introducing us into His very life at the bosom of the Father, into His arms, into His resting place, beholding the face of the Abba as He beholds us and sighs.

But how can we eat a person?, and even more a Divine Person? By openness to the gift of the Other and the others. By the way of reverent contemplation, admiration and delight in the fundamental goodness of God and each human person as a unique gift addressed to you alone. Is it easy? scary/overwhelming? How do you feel about it?

We’re called to do this with Jesus in a daily (frequent) manner, especially in Adoration. Eating Jesus in mass and Adoration enables us to “eat” our neighbor (haha, get the symbol). We need to start by Adoring, eating Jesus spiritually. Just sitting in His presence, allowing Him to come to you, declare His love, give Himself to you, and penetrate deeply, till it’s uncomfortable… He wants to fill you with His gentle kindly light. Open up the ugliest and messiest corner you’ll be better fed. He lovingly asks us to expose our inner most self to Him. In that way He grows in you, you “eat” Jesus by trusting in His love for you, and He grows in you. Surprisingly you’ll see He’s already reigning within, and you feel different, ready and willing to receive (eat) the mystery of your neighbor into your inner garden.

-FR. REMIGIO MORALES, PASTOR