Sunday Reflection: 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

1^st Reading      1 Kings 19:4-8
2^nd Reading     Ephesians 4:30-5:2
Gospel             John 6:41-51

When things in life becomes difficult, our tendency is to put these things in our control or to put them to stop. We often look for an instant relief to our predicaments. We frequently search for a short cut.

In our 1^st Reading, the Prophet Elijah, after putting to death all the prophets of Baal, went on a journey into the desert to escape from Jezebel who was after him for what he did. In this journey, he was exhausted and asked the Lord to take his life. His experiences and difficulties made him more vulnerable, so he turned to the Lord who called him to that life. God in turn responded to Elijah by sending His angel to feed and comfort him and make him ready for the journey further to the mountain of God, Horeb.

On the other hand, in our Gospel, Jesus suffered contempt from those people whom He fed. They could not accept the teaching of Jesus about the Bread of Life. They questioned His credibility. So, Jesus pointed out to them that faith is a gift of God. Those who will come to Him are those whom the Father sends.

God makes the initiative in saving us, He gives faith, and it is up to us to make this faith grow in our daily life. And it is to these persons who believe that He will give His flesh. The reception of God’s supreme gift presupposes faith.

The Eucharist that we receive in every Holy Mass is God’s expression of love. In the Eucharist, we receive Christ who is our sure source of strength in our journey in this life. We might be experiencing difficulties and pains this time of the pandemic, but God offers us Himself to be our food for the journey. We must receive the Eucharist. The Eucharist is meant to be consumed. But now that some of us are in lockdown or are prevented from receiving the Eucharist, we have to storm heaven with our prayers to put an end to this pandemic that we may receive Jesus again sacramentally. We must express our longing for the Eucharist even more now. Our present situation should not prevent our desire for communion with Lord.

May we heed the call of our Psalm this Sunday, “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” May we continue our journey full of hope that God will provide us what we need like the Prophet Elijah, and may we also continue this journey full of love and without bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling as St. Paul exhorts us in our 2^nd Reading.

A Christian journeys life amidst all the pains and difficulties of life full of confidence. He or she does not look for the easy way out, but endures all things because he or she knows that these difficulties will lead to holiness of life and we become imitators of Christ.