Free Lunch

First Reading: Acts 6:8-15
Psalm: Ps 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30
Gospel: Jn 6:22-29

Friends,

A good friend likes to remind me that the center of the Catholic Church can be found in the sixth chapter of John. Since the rest of the readings this week deal with just that chapter, we will focus there. I do highly recommend reading them and reflecting on your own.

Let's set the scene: Jesus has just multiplied the loaves for five thousand people. They were astonished and sought to make him king (mighty useful to have a guy who can make bread from nothing). Jesus draws away and that evening, he comes to the apostles, walking on water. In the morning, the crowd discovers that Jesus isn't there anymore, so they go looking for him. When they find him, Jesus has this to say:

Jesus answered them and said, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life" - John 6:26-27

He says this to stop them from focusing on the short-term results of the miracle. They come looking for Jesus because their physical hunger was satisfied, not because of his message.

We get caught up sometimes with the idea of the free lunch. The idea of getting something for nothing is very compelling. We like sales that tell us we're getting half-off, or a trip with the office that we can write off as a business lunch. Buy one get one (or a thousand, in this case) free. We use the tactic all the time to draw people in for short-term satisfaction of some form or another.

In our walk of faith, we sometimes want things to come to us free. We ask God for favors, then sit and wait. We ask for our faith to be strengthened, but do not take the time to pray. We might demand a healing, but do not attend Mass or receive the Eucharist. A few insist that they will not believe unless they can do as St. Thomas did and touch Christ themselves, but make no effort to see Him in the poor and needy.

Jesus here is steering us away from all of that. He wants us to focus on the long-term and the long-term is never free or easy. An education, a family, a career, a solid faith life. All of these things take hard work and sacrifice. There are no shortcuts, there aren't any coupons.
The long-term goals require a consistent belief that even though things are tough now, it must be done so that something of worth can be gained.

So they said to him, "What can we do to accomplish the works of God?"
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent." - John 6:28-29

Belief in Jesus sounds like an easy enough task, but as we will see in the later readings this week, it's no free lunch.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of this day. We are grateful for the many gifts that You have given to us. We pray that we might not seek the easy path, but the true path that leads to You. We pray for fortitude for the times when the path is not easy to walk and the temptations of a smooth road are great. We pray also for our brothers and sisters that have accepted the lie of an easier way, that they might be stirred back to seeking You. We ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Intimidation

First Reading: Acts 4:13-21
Psalm: Ps 118:1, 14-21
Gospel: Mk 16:9-15

Friends,

In today's reading, we continue with the story of the first preachings of the apostles and their subsequent persecution. The chief priests and scribes all admit that a mighty work has been done through the apostles, but they do not want to hear the name of the one by whom it was done. At a loss, they proceed to bullying the apostles, whom they see as "uneducated, ordinary men".

How often in life we are intimidated by those who we see as smarter or wiser than we are. A common way to dismiss an argument is simply, "What do you know?" or "You wouldn't understand." We place a great deal of trust and authority in people who study for many years, and this is rightly so. However, one can study for hundreds of years and still learn something from the high school dropout or an innocent child. In learning, we must remember to be humble.

Peter and John would not be intimidated.

Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard. - Acts 4:19-20

They give the elders their due respect, but also offer them the chance to see their error. The apostles knew that their testimony was true and that Jesus would strengthen them.

So too in our own times. As Christians, we are often questioned about our beliefs, or told that our way of life is outdated or impossible. A secular culture attempts to intimidate us, telling us that we are bigots, zealots or lunatics. We must remember that these are only the tactics of a bully. Let the culture determine what is popular, and let God determine what is right.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of this day. May we use it wisely and to glorify Your name. Guide us in our walk, Lord, that we might defend those who are being intimidated by this world. Give them strength to stand up for what is right, and bless us with the gift of fortitude to stand with them. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.