18TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (last week)

 

1.     God is not a vending machine. * really hard in our culture of instant response

2.     God never says a flat “no” to us.

a.     “Yes. Here you go!” For example – Jesus help me to love this person. Holy Spirit, give me the right words to say. Or even the classic Catholic prayer, St. Anthony, ask God to let me to find my car keys ‘cuz it seems that He’s not hearing me right now!

b.     “Not right now.” For example – God, please let me know my vocation. God, make me a saint. Lord, please fix this serious problem I’m going through. (a lot of the times that happens gradually or seems to get nowhere before something moves)

c.      “I’ve got something better for you.” For example – God, make me an NBA all-star, or a genius, or super popular. Or even asking for the wrong things, such as God let me finally get revenge on that person so they look bad or things go bad for them. (not a good prayer at all!)

3.     Jesus tells us to pray with boldness. To tell God what we want, like children. But just like children, we will very often ask for the wrong things. We don’t fully know what we want/need. Or even when we do, we have our fallen human nature that can so often get in the way and steer us down the wrong path. But still, God wants us to talk to Him with all of it.

4.     In the Gospel, God gives us the greatest thing we could ever ask for. No matter what you pray for, God is giving you the best thing you could ever ask for. The Eucharist, which Jesus stresses with the clarity and hardness of a diamond, is the Light of the Christian life. “I Am the Bread of Life” Jesus says. These are words to build a life upon. They are spiritual gold. And wait, what do you know, look at that, They are printed in gold above the tabernacle! What a coincidence that they got painted gold just in time for this reading! Or not. Honestly it was the easiest decision I’ve made in a while after I prayed with this Gospel. Now actually painting them, not so easy, but worth it. It’s been a while since I use a paintbrush, like… 5^th grade or something...! Luckily any real artists don’t have to get too close to be grossed out by what they would find.

5.     Back to the point of those words. The Eucharist is the ultimate response to our prayers, the greatest moment in history where when all of humanity is crying out for so many things, some petty, some more important, some temporary, some eternal, God says to us:  “I’ve got something better for you.”  I don’t want to give you something, I want you give you someone. And not someone else, but myself. I created you for me. Your heart and soul, your entire existence hungers for this food. Nothing else will satisfy. This is why you exist: to be one with me. This is the beginning of heaven. This is everything.

Jesus, thank you for the gift of gifts. As we continue to cry out to you with the boldness of children, help us to build our lives around this one thing that truly satisfies.