Scripture Reflection and Prayer : Journeying together

Saturday, 3 May 2025

DECLARATION OF UNDYING LOVE

20250504 DECLARATION OF UNDYING LOVE

04 May 2025, Sunday, 3rd Week of Easter

First reading

Acts 5:27-32,40-41

We are witnesses to all this: we and the Holy Spirit

The high priest demanded an explanation of the Apostles. ‘We gave you a formal warning’ he said ‘not to preach in this name, and what have you done? You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and seem determined to fix the guilt of this man’s death on us.’ In reply Peter and the apostles said, ‘Obedience to God comes before obedience to men; it was the God of our ancestors who raised up Jesus, but it was you who had him executed by hanging on a tree. By his own right hand God has now raised him up to be leader and saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins through him to Israel. We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’ They warned the apostles not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. And so they left the presence of the Sanhedrin glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name.

How to listen

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 29(30):2,4-6,11-13

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

Alleluia!

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me

and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.

O Lord, you have raised my soul from the dead,

restored me to life from those who sink into the grave.

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

Alleluia!

Sing psalms to the Lord, you who love him,

give thanks to his holy name.

His anger lasts a moment; his favour all through life.

At night there are tears, but joy comes with dawn.

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

Alleluia!

The Lord listened and had pity.

The Lord came to my help.

For me you have changed my mourning into dancing:

O Lord my God, I will thank you for ever.

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

Alleluia!

Second reading

Apocalypse 5:11-14

The Lamb that was sacrificed is worthy to be given riches and power

In my vision, I, John, heard the sound of an immense number of angels gathered round the throne and the animals and the elders; there were ten thousand times ten thousand of them and thousands upon thousands, shouting, ‘The Lamb that was sacrificed is worthy to be given power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and blessing.’ Then I heard all the living things in creation – everything that lives in the air, and on the ground, and under the ground, and in the sea, crying, ‘To the One who is sitting on the throne and to the Lamb, be all praise, honour, glory and power, for ever and ever.’ And the four animals said, ‘Amen’; and the elders prostrated themselves to worship.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Lk24:32

Alleluia, alleluia!

Lord Jesus, explain the Scriptures to us.

Make our hearts burn within us as you talk to us.

Alleluia!

Or:

Alleluia, alleluia!

Christ has risen: he who created all things,

and has granted his mercy to men.

Alleluia!

Gospel

John 21:1-19

Jesus stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish

Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing.’ They replied, ‘We’ll come with you.’ They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night.

It was light by now and there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, ‘Have you caught anything, friends?’ And when they answered, ‘No’, he said, ‘Throw the net out to starboard and you’ll find something.’ So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in. The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’ At these words ‘It is the Lord’, Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net and the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land.

As soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there, and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, ‘Who are you?’; they knew quite well it was the Lord. Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.

After the meal Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.

‘I tell you most solemnly,

when you were young

you put on your own belt

and walked where you liked;

but when you grow old

you will stretch out your hands,

and somebody else will put a belt round you

and take you where you would rather not go.’

In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, ‘Follow me.’

DECLARATION OF UNDYING LOVE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Acts 5:27-32.40-41; Ps 30; Apoc 5:11-14; Jn 21:1-19 (or >< 21:1-14)]

In the gospel, the apostles followed Peter out fishing. “Simon Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing.’ They replied, ‘We’ll come with you.’ They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night.” That they caught nothing is symbolic of their utter failure in discipleship, and also with regard to their future. They had great hopes in Jesus. They had left everything to follow Him, although not always with noble motives. Their hopes, like the rest of the disciples, were for glory and power when Jesus came to His kingdom. (Mt 20:23) But all their hopes were dashed with the death of Jesus. There was nothing else for them to do but to return to their old trade.

Even then, guilt and disappointment followed them. They felt sorry that they had a part to play in their master’s death. They had previously said that they would even die with Him. But when He was arrested, they all ran away. Peter denied Jesus three times, not before the Sanhedrin but in front of some servants at the garden. (Lk 22:31-34) Indeed, when things are fine, we can pledge undying and unconditional love for each other. This is what we do with our friends and when taking marriage vows. But when things become difficult, we find that we are not able to live out our pledge of love.

So, everything is in darkness for them. They went fishing in the night and saw nothing. However, “it was light by now and there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus.” The dawn signifies the arrival of the Risen Lord because He is the morning star. Jesus has come to enlighten us and show us the way to life. Without Jesus as our Light, we walk and work in darkness. And the result is that we live a fruitless life. Indeed, without the Lord, we will also be fruitless in works of love. We need the Lord’s assistance. So “Jesus called out, ‘Have you caught anything, friends?’ And when they answered, ‘No’, he said, ‘Throw the net out to starboard and you’ll find something.’ So, they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in.”

But the truth about life is that man lacks the capacity to give undying love to God or to his fellowmen unless God shows him the way. And indeed, the gospel shows that it is Christ who reveals His undying love for His apostles who betrayed Him. Like the Prodigal Father, Jesus went out to meet them. He did not wait for the apostles to return and find Him to apologize. In fact, there was no apology from any one of them. They were either too ashamed even to mention their betrayal or afraid of Jesus’ reprimand. But Jesus showed by His action that they were forgiven.

Jesus invited them to renew their fellowship with Him in the Eucharistic celebration. “Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, ‘Who are you?’; they knew quite well it was the Lord. Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish.” Bread was a reminder of the Last Supper with His apostles. Fish is a Greek symbol of the title of our Lord, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour.” It was used by the early Christians to indicate their Christian identity. Indeed, at every Eucharist, the Lord reiterates His undying love for us when His sacrifice on the cross is renewed for us to be present in that one historical event so that the same saving grace is given to us. The Eucharist brings about the forgiveness of sins, strengthens our bond with Him and with our brothers and sisters.

In the same vein, Jesus showed the power of the Eucharist to heal our brokenness and wounded heart. He took the occasion to allow St Peter to reaffirm his love for Him. At every Eucharist, we are called to renew our love for the Lord. St Peter had earlier denied Jesus three times. The presence of the charcoal fire with fish cooking on it must have brought back the shameful memories of St Peter who still was unable to forgive himself for betraying not just the master but his own fellow apostles because he was supposed to be the leader among the Twelve, as Jesus had appointed him to be the rock on which He would build His Church. (Mt 16:18f) But he had lost his authority because of his denial of our Lord. He was no longer fit to lead the Twelve. He was humbled by his weakness.

However, Jesus’ forgiveness is real. To forgive means to forget. It means restoration of one’s former dignity, just as in the case of the Prodigal Son where the father gave him back his ring, sandals and garment. So, Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to reclaim his love for Him before He restored his office as the leader among the Twelve. Three times, the Lord questioned Peter and three times, he answered almost identically, “Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.” However, in Greek, Jesus used the word, “Agape” the first two times and it was because Peter’s insistence on the use of the word, “Philo” that Jesus used “Philo” the third time. Jesus was asking for unconditional and undying love from Peter but Peter had become more realistic that he might not be able to live up to the demands of unconditional and absolute love. His failure had woken him up to his inadequacy. He had become humbler and less presumptuous of His love for the Lord.

This recognition of his weakness helped Peter not to depend on himself and his strength but to find strength from the Lord. At the same time, it taught him compassion and sympathy for those who reject or betray the Lord. As the Lord said to him, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Lk 22:31f) Indeed, Jesus knew that love must grow from strength to strength. We might not be able to love Him or our brothers and sisters all at once, in an unconditional way. But with God’s grace and over time, we will be able to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. The Lord is patient with us and with Peter, who eventually was ready to die for Him. “Follow me” the Lord said. By that He meant to the cross and crucifixion.

Eventually, Peter would follow Jesus and give his “agape” love to Him and to the Church. In today’s second reading, Peter found courage to stand up in front of the distinguished and learned members of Sanhedrin to defend his teaching about our Lord. He was not afraid of them even when they were flogged and warned not to use His name. Instead, Peter and the apostles said, “Obedience to God comes before obedience to men; it was the God of our ancestors who raised up Jesus, but it was you who had him executed by hanging on a tree. By his own right-hand God has now raised him up to be leader and saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins through him to Israel. We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” Tradition tells us that he was executed at the end of his life in Rome.

Truly, the love of Peter for the Lord was not just a love based on eros, sensual feeling and attraction, or philos, one of admiration and respect but of agape, a love that is unconditional and undying, expressed in caring for the sheep and lamb of our Lord. Hence, after his confession of love, Jesus restored the leadership of Peter and said to him, “Feed my lamb. Look after my sheep. Feed my sheep.” Peter’s love had matured and he was now willing to die for the Lord, to follow Him to the cross and most of all, to die as the shepherd of Christ in caring for His sheep and lamb. St Peter truly became the great shepherd of the Church of Christ, His Vicar in caring for the Church. We too must walk in his footsteps and also accept our weaknesses, and pray for His grace to grow in the perfection of love and service for our Lord expressed in humble service to the spread of the gospel and to His sheep.

At this juncture of the Church, we too must pray earnestly for the help of the Holy Spirit to guide the cardinals in choosing the right pope to lead the Church of Christ. Let us pray for a holy, compassionate, inclusive and missionary pope, one who is gentle with sinners but firm and clear in doctrines so that the Church will remain united walking in the path of our Lord. Let us pray for Peter’s successor so that he can lead the Church in truth and love.

Friday, 2 May 2025

BELIEVING IN THE GOSPEL

20250503 BELIEVING IN THE GOSPEL

03 May 2025, Saturday, Sts Philip and James, Apostles

First reading

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

The Lord appeared to James, and then to all the apostles

Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything.

Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared first to Cephas and secondly to the Twelve. Next he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died; then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles; and last of all he appeared to me too; it was as though I was born when no one expected it.

How to listen

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 18(19):2-5

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

Alleluia!

The heavens proclaim the glory of God,

and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.

Day unto day takes up the story

and night unto night makes known the message.

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

Alleluia!

No speech, no word, no voice is heard

yet their span extends through all the earth,

their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

Their word goes forth through all the earth.

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

Jn14:6,9

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, says the Lord.

Philip, to have seen me is to have seen the Father.

Alleluia!

Gospel

John 14:6-14

To have seen me is to have seen the father

Jesus said to Thomas:

‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.

No one can come to the Father except through me.

If you know me, you know my Father too.

From this moment you know him and have seen him.’

Philip said, ‘Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.’

‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip,’ said Jesus to him ‘and you still do not know me?

‘To have seen me is to have seen the Father,

so how can you say, “Let us see the Father”?

Do you not believe

that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

The words I say to you I do not speak as from myself:

it is the Father, living in me, who is doing this work.

You must believe me when I say

that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;

believe it on the evidence of this work, if for no other reason.

I tell you most solemnly,

whoever believes in me

will perform the same works as I do myself,

he will perform even greater works,

because I am going to the Father.

Whatever you ask for in my name I will do,

so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If you ask for anything in my name,

I will do it.’

BELIEVING IN THE GOSPEL

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 Cor 15:1-8; Ps 19:2-5; Jn 14: 6-14]

We are all seeking fullness of life. Man is not contented with just material and physical satisfaction. We all look for something more – for meaning and purpose, the ultimate truth and love in life. The search of Thomas and Philip in the gospel is expressive of every man. Thomas said to Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” (Jn 14:5) In asking this question, he was seeking the goal and purpose of life. Philip, in asking Jesus, “Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied”, was saying that the thirst for life could only be quenched when man sees God, the origin and goal of every human person.

How can man find happiness in life? St Paul declares, “Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything.” What is this gospel that we are to believe in order for us to be saved? The gospel is more than a message, or lesser still, a book of the bible.

The gospel is a person summed up in the life and entire being of Jesus. This is so succinctly captured in Vatican II when it says, “Jesus perfected revelation by fulfilling it through his whole work of making Himself present and manifesting Himself: through His words and deeds, His signs and wonders, but especially through His death and glorious resurrection from the dead and final sending of the Spirit of truth. Moreover He confirmed with divine testimony what revelation proclaimed, that God is with us to free us from the darkness of sin and death, and to raise us up to life eternal.” (Dei Verbum 4) Indeed, as Jesus said in the gospel, “To have seen me is to have seen the Father, so how can you say, ‘Let us see the Father?’ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?” Truly, Jesus who is the image of the unseen God, the first-born of every creature, shows us the love and mercy of God by His works, words and, most of all, by His paschal mystery.

Indeed, the whole life of Jesus, His words and deeds, His entire being, manifests to us who the Father is and how we should live our life in such a way so that we can share the life of God. Again, Dei Verbum says, “For He sent His Son, the eternal Word, who enlightens all men, so that He might dwell among men and tell them of the innermost being of God.” (cf Jn 1:1-18). Jesus Christ, therefore, the Word made flesh, was sent as “a man to men.” He “speaks the words of God” (Jn 3:34), and completes the work of salvation which His Father gave Him to do (cf Jn 5:36; Jn 17:4).” It is to Jesus that we draw wisdom and direction if we want to live our lives meaningfully. That is why Jesus proclaimed to Thomas that He Himself is “the Way, the truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you know me, you know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him.”

Indeed, as Vatican II puts it, “The truth is that only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light. For Adam, the first man, was a figure of Him Who was to come, namely Christ the Lord. Christ, the final Adam, by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His love, fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear. It is not surprising, then, that in Him all the aforementioned truths find their root and attain their crown. He Who is ‘the image of the invisible God’ (Col. 1:15), is Himself the perfect man. To the sons of Adam He restores the divine likeness which had been disfigured from the first sin onward. Since human nature as He assumed it was not annulled, by that very fact it has been raised up to a divine dignity in our respect too. For by His incarnation the Son of God has united Himself in some fashion with every man.” (Gaudium et Spes 22)

Jesus is the answer to all the riddles and mysteries of life. The Constitution of “the Church in the Modern World” has this to say with regard to Jesus as the answer to all the questions of life. “In the face of the modern development of the world, the number constantly swells of the people who raise the most basic questions or recognize them with a new sharpness: what is man? What is this sense of sorrow, of evil, of death, which continues to exist despite so much progress? What purpose have these victories purchased at so high a cost? What can man offer to society, what can he expect from it? What follows this earthly life? (Gaudium et Spes 10.2)

How is Christ our answer to the mystery of suffering, life and death if not through the paschal mystery? This is why St Paul gave us the kerygma, the heart of the gospel when he wrote, “Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared first to Cephas and secondly to the Twelve. Next he appeared to more than five thousand of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died; then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles; and last of all he appeared to me too; it was as though I was born when no one expected it.”

Faith in the passion, death and resurrection is the key to unlock the face of God and to comprehend the mystery of suffering and death. In Christ’s passion and resurrection, we see that suffering and death does take away our life, but it is a necessary stage and process to fullness of life. If we believe in the resurrection of Christ, which we will participate at the end of time, we would not be too worried about the sufferings we endure in this life. This is because we know that all these will end. And if we allow the sufferings of life to purify us in love, we will be ready to share in the resurrection of Christ at the end of our life. Thus, Vatican II teaches, “The Church firmly believes that Christ, who died and was raised up for all, can through His Spirit offer man the light and the strength to measure up to his supreme destiny. Nor has any other name under the heaven been given to man by which it is fitting for him to be saved. She likewise holds that in her most benign Lord and Master can be found the key, the focal point and the goal of man, as well as of all human history.” (Gaudium et Spes 10.3)

Indeed, the resurrection of Christ vindicates all that Jesus said and did. Only in the context of the resurrection, can we see clearly that the works of Jesus are the works of the Father. The resurrection of Jesus is the endorsement of the Father in all that Jesus said and did. Without the resurrection, we can continue to doubt whether Jesus is one with God as He claimed. But with His resurrection, there should not be any doubt at all with regard to the promises and teachings of Jesus, especially about our own resurrection and our return to the Father. Jesus reiterated, “The words I say to you I do not speak as from myself: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing this work. You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; believe it on the evidence of this work, if for no other reason.”

With this faith in Christ, we are now in a position, as Jesus promised His disciples, to do greater works than He did. He said, “whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, he will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask for in my name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask for anything in my name, I will do it.” Of course, this does not mean that we can perform more miracles than Jesus had done. What Jesus meant was that we would be able to bring the gospel to all humanity beyond the confines of Palestine. This is the task of the Church, to make Christ known to all men and women so that they too can find fullness of life. Indeed, only “through Christ and in Christ, the riddles of sorrow and death grow meaningful. Apart from His Gospel, they overwhelm us. Christ has risen, destroying death by His death; He has lavished life upon us so that, as sons in the Son, we can cry out in the Spirit; Abba, Father.” (Gaudium et Spes 22.6) And we can do this only in union with Him. He will grant us anything we ask in His name because His Father is glorified in Him through our proclamation of the gospel.

WITNESSING WITH THE POWER OF GOD

20250502 WITNESSING WITH THE POWER OF GOD

02 May 2025, Friday, 2nd Week of Easter

First reading

Acts 5:34-42

They were glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name

One member of the Sanhedrin, a Pharisee called Gamaliel, who was a doctor of the Law and respected by the whole people, stood up and asked to have the apostles taken outside for a time. Then he addressed the Sanhedrin, ‘Men of Israel, be careful how you deal with these people. There was Theudas who became notorious not so long ago. He claimed to be someone important, and he even collected about four hundred followers; but when he was killed, all his followers scattered and that was the end of them. And then there was Judas the Galilean, at the time of the census, who attracted crowds of supporters; but he got killed too, and all his followers dispersed. What I suggest, therefore, is that you leave these men alone and let them go. If this enterprise, this movement of theirs, is of human origin it will break up of its own accord; but if it does in fact come from God you will not only be unable to destroy them, but you might find yourselves fighting against God.’

His advice was accepted; and they had the apostles called in, gave orders for them to be flogged, warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. And so they left the presence of the Sanhedrin glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name.

They preached every day both in the Temple and in private houses, and their proclamation of the Good News of Christ Jesus was never interrupted.

How to listen

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 26(27):1,4,13-14

There is one thing I ask of the Lord, to live in the house of the Lord.

Alleluia!

The Lord is my light and my help;

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

before whom shall I shrink?

There is one thing I ask of the Lord, to live in the house of the Lord.

Alleluia!

There is one thing I ask of the Lord,

for this I long,

to live in the house of the Lord,

all the days of my life,

to savour the sweetness of the Lord,

to behold his temple.

There is one thing I ask of the Lord, to live in the house of the Lord.

Alleluia!

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness

in the land of the living.

Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.

Hope in the Lord!

There is one thing I ask of the Lord, to live in the house of the Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

We know that Christ is truly risen from the dead:

have mercy on us, triumphant King.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt4:4

Alleluia, alleluia!

Man does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Alleluia!

Gospel

John 6:1-15

The feeding of the five thousand

Jesus went off to the other side of the Sea of Galilee – or of Tiberias – and a large crowd followed him, impressed by the signs he gave by curing the sick. Jesus climbed the hillside, and sat down there with his disciples. It was shortly before the Jewish feast of Passover.

Looking up, Jesus saw the crowds approaching and said to Philip, ‘Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?’ He only said this to test Philip; he himself knew exactly what he was going to do. Philip answered, ‘Two hundred denarii would only buy enough to give them a small piece each.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, ‘There is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that between so many?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Make the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass there, and as many as five thousand men sat down. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave them out to all who were sitting ready; he then did the same with the fish, giving out as much as was wanted. When they had eaten enough he said to the disciples, ‘Pick up the pieces left over, so that nothing gets wasted.’ So they picked them up, and filled twelve hampers with scraps left over from the meal of five barley loaves. The people, seeing this sign that he had given, said, ‘This really is the prophet who is to come into the world.’ Jesus, who could see they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, escaped back to the hills by himself.

WITNESSING WITH THE POWER OF GOD

SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 5:34-42; PS 27:1,4,13-14; JOHN 6:1-15]

We are called to be missionary disciples. But many of us Catholics are diffident about sharing our faith in Christ with others for various reasons, from fear of rejection to respect for others’ belief. So, we only preach the Good News to those who seek it, leaving out the many who are searching but do not know the Good News about Jesus. Why? Because Christians who have not encountered the Lord deeply enough do not think that the Good News is worth sharing. Indeed, when we do not share the Good News, it means that deep in our hearts we do not believe that it really matters whether they know Jesus or not. So long as they live a good life and if they have their own faith beliefs, it is good enough. In other words, we do not really believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Saviour of the World. He is only a Saviour to a section of the world’s population but not necessarily for all.

But this was not the case for the apostles. They were not intimidated even when threatened with flogging and imprisonment for announcing the name of Jesus. In fact, when arrested by the authorities, and when they were brought before them for trial and judgement, they did not use that occasion to ask for their release. Instead, they used that opportunity to proclaim Jesus as the Saviour. They were not concerned for their lives but about witnessing to Jesus for the salvation of their fellowmen. St Luke said, “And so they left the presence of the Sanhedrin glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name. They preached every day both in the Temple and in private houses, and their proclamation of the Good News of Christ Jesus was never interrupted.” This was in spite of the fact that orders were given for them “to be flogged, warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.”

Maybe, we are too careful, like Gamaliel who advised the Sanhedrin on how to deal with the apostles whose miraculous deed of restoring the cripple back to health could not be disputed. He advised the Sanhedrin to “leave these men alone and let them go. If this enterprise, this movement of theirs, is of human origin it will break up of its own accord; but if it does in fact come from God you will not only be unable to destroy them, but you might find yourselves fighting against God.” That seems to be good advice, but it could work both ways. Whilst it is true that if it was of human origin it would not last, it could also be of Satanic origin, deceiving us with half-truths, such as in moral relativism. And even so, it might take a very long time, beyond one’s lifetime, to see the destruction of something that did not originate from God. We might have to wait until the end of time. It seems that Gamaliel was watching whether the Christian movement was from God but he died before he could make a commitment! We must challenge people to make a commitment now, and then they will discover that faith grows from strength to strength.

So, we can keep on delaying and hope that one day they will come to know the truth and about Jesus. But unless, as St Paul wrote to the Romans, “But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Rom 10:14f) The truth is that there is no good time to proclaim the Good News. Every occasion is an opportunity to share about Christ, whether at home, in the office, at work, or with our friends. We do not wait for the right time because any time is right. Otherwise, the opportunity might not present itself again. It is not a question of the right time but rather, trusting in the power of God to act through us. It is not our eloquence or preaching but the work of the Holy Spirit who will open the hearts of our listeners. This is why we must not be afraid to announce the name of Jesus explicitly.

We must learn from the lessons that our Lord taught His apostles in today’s gospel. Jesus transformed every situation, even negative ones, into something positive. In this incident, we read that “a large crowd followed him, impressed by the signs he gave by curing the sick. Jesus climbed the hillside, and sat down there with his disciples. It was shortly before the Jewish feast of Passover.” Jesus was like Moses who sat on the hill to teach the people and instruct them on the truth. But it was late, and it would not be right for Jesus to send them home, and it would not be consistent with the preaching of Jesus because the gospel is not just nice and inspiring words but it is about charity in concrete action.

“Looking up, Jesus saw the crowds approaching and said to Philip, ‘Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?’ He only said this to test Philip; he himself knew exactly what he was going to do. Philip answered, ‘Two hundred denarii would only buy enough to give them a small piece each.'” The answer of Philip is also our answer when it comes to witnessing for Jesus. We also say, “how to evangelize so many people? How to bring personal conversion to so many thousand Catholics? How to bring so many of our nominal Catholics back to church?” We are pragmatic like Philip. We work like an accountant, dealing with statistics and numbers. This is true when we want to build something or start a program. We worry about financial support. Of course, it is important to be practical, but we must also trust in the power of God to make it happen. We are like Philip who needed visibility to believe. It was Philip who said to the Lord, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” (Jn 14:8) We need proof and numbers before we decide.

Then we make the mistake of Andrew because he could not go beyond his feelings of helplessness. He only relied on himself. He told the Lord, “There is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that between so many?” At least for Andrew, instead of lamenting like Philip, he looked for a solution and managed to discover a little boy with five loaves and two fishes. Again, like Philip, he was discouraged because looking at their resources, he concluded that there was no way to solve the problem. Neither did any of the other apostles come up with a solution. They all calculated and decided there was no way to possibly feed all those people. Common sense would tell us that. But they only had common sense, which was to send them away into the villages to find food and lodging, as it was already late and they were in the wilderness.

We all feel precisely like the disciples when trying to proclaim Christ to the world and to our own fellow Christians. When we think in this manner, we have forgotten the source of our power, which does not come from us but from Christ Himself. Christ never asked us to do His work by ourselves but always with Him. We should turn to Jesus who would show us the way and make it happen for us if we trust Him. This is possible only if we have first encountered Him in our lives and experienced Him working miracles in our lives personally and that of others. The disciples had forgotten how their master had changed water into wine, how He had healed the nobleman’s son from a distance, how the paralytic lying at the pool was able to walk again, the blind man see. Why did they not conclude that their master could work wonders in their lives?

Today, we need to correct our defective view of Jesus if we are to be His powerful witnesses. We must recognize that Jesus is Lord. Peter and John said to the Sanhedrin, “let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:10,12) Indeed, St John in his gospel wants us to recognize that Jesus is the New Moses who was not just a teacher and prophet but He is the one who gives us the Bread of Life. By the multiplication of loaves for the five thousand, Jesus was alluding to the greatest teacher of the Old Testament, Moses, the giver of the Law, and Elisha, who was also a great prophet, a disciple of Elijah. Unless we rely on God’s power and strength, we cannot do His work.