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IN
THIS ISSUE:
Cover
Page
From
the Head Servant
by Bro.
Pete Lapid
The
Father Speaks
By Fr.
Binzler, SJ
Our
Faith
By Fr.
KJ Veeger, MSC
Place
of Refuge
By
Philip Yuson
Surabaya
Corner
By
Ramon Martillano
Sharing
By Rita
Gomez
Here's
the Latest
By
Pinky Torres
Sharing
By Bro.
Alvin Barcelona
Sharing
By Joji ESCUBAN
By
Armand Sol
Saint
for the Month
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- Catholic
Links
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 - PROFILE
OF THE
- GENESIS
CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
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- THE
FATHER SPEAKS
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- We
heard from St. John's Gospel from the begi
 nning
of chapter six that people are hungry. After receiving bread and fish
at the lake side of Galilee, they tried to force Jesus making Him
their king. Food is the main worry for us. Every day. Without food we
suffer. We realize that we depend on others. We cannot live providing
everything by our own endeavor, say independent, without relying on
others. We need the help of others.
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- St. John
starts from this daily experience, to explain our dependence on God.
The Gospel says: We need God, just as our body needs food. People who
try to live without God endanger their own life. Is this true? Are
there not many who enjoy life without God, they are not hungry for
God? Is it not true, that we too have corners in ourselves which do
not care about God? So, do people really need God for their lives,
just as they need food?
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- We heard
the witness giving by a man, namely Saint John, who was united in the
friendship with Jesus. John followed the tradition of the Jews. They
were convinced that Yahweh Himself was the source of their wellbeing.
Saint John saw this in the unity with Jesus. He gave witness of the
hunger in the world, and which is being appeased by Jesus. He gave
witness about what he himself experienced in the bread from Jesus.
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- I am the
bread of life. What does it mean? We pray in the Lord's prayer: give
us this day our daily bread. In a song, a poet explains what is meant
by daily bread: bread is rice, bread is the table, bread is the roof,
bread is the bed to sleep on; bread is the friend, bread is love,
freedom, bread is our country. Give us today our daily bread: give us
what we need to be able to live.
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- Jesus gave
bread to the people. But when they asked for more, He refused. Why?
What did He want to teach them? At first He gave them food, and then
He refused to repeat it. Is it not sensible to ask for more?
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- There are
people, whose endeavor is to live as frugal as possible. They fast.
They deny themselves all desires. They do not care to have a house or
home. They do not need others. They are not concerned with bodily
needs. Of course also not of the needs of others. They are called
ascetics, abstaining from worldly comfort, rigidly abstinent and
self-denying. They believe that by doing this they can achieve a
higher ideal. All along the history of the church, there were
movements of people like these ascetics. They deny for themselves the
ordinary and worthy longings for humans, the longings for happiness,
well, as we all wish to have it. The monks for instance do it as an
offering to Christ. Maybe at one time we too are tempted to flee the
world, flee from the daily nerds, flee from the family -- or just join
a congregation, an order to become a monk or a nun.
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- But Jesus
did not mean it this way when He refused to multiply bread again. God,
the Creator, created every living creature that it needs food, needs
water. More so man that he can enjoy life and get friends. The Holy
Bible continuously stressed the promise God has given. Herewith He
gave proof of His faithfulness: wheat and wine abundantly, housing and
land, peace, husband and wife, children. Jesus Himself acknowledged
it: He healed them, He comforted them, He protected them and defended
them. He did not teach them to live as ascetics. He Himself was called
a man who eats and drinks with the sinners.
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- He
did not accuse them for eating. He accused them for seeing only the
food that appeases their hunger. They did not see the deeper meaning
of it; "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for Me, not
because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the
loaves." (John 6:26). People who see deeper, they see an
invisible though just as a true reality. To own a homestead is
necessary for protection. But they know it will not last forever. To
have friends, a family is good. But they know that they cannot replace
God. Jesus did not order that we have to do without these. His will
was that we see deeper, more complete. The dignity of man lies in this
that we can long and hope for something greater. Animals can't. The
bread which appeases our hunger forever is Jesus Himself. "I am
the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never be hungry and
whoever believes in Me will never be thirst. Amen.
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