READINGS AT MASS
1 Kgs 19:4-8
Psalm 34
Eph 4:30-5:2
Jn 6: 41-51
Theme: WHEN THE JOURNEY IS TOO LONG
Dear friends in Christ, N'wokafu YESU KRISTO...
In today's first reading, Elijah expressed his tiredness about life. He was on the fringe of giving up. He felt neglected, exhausted, and afraid. Like every human being, Elijah had reached the point where he could not go on. He could no longer continue the journey all by himself. He needed something (an external strength) to keep him going and that extra nourishment and strength came from no other than God.
As a response to his cry for help, God sent an angel to nourish him in the desert. This nourishment (bread and water) from above refreshed him and sustained his journey for forty days and nights. Strengthened by the food, he walked to the Mountain of God.(1 Kgs. 19:8).
In the Gospel, Jesus Christ told the disturbed crowd clearly that He is the nourishment from above A critical and crucial nourishment that surpasses any other earthly nourishment. He said: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever (Jn 6:51).
Beloved in Christ, those who walk the journey of life without nourishment from above cannot make it to Horeb (the Mountain of God). The journey of life can sometimes be rough, tough, and scary. Like Elijah, we are often tempted to give up.
Most of us are giving up simply because we are tired. We have tried all we could in our little human strength and like Elijah, nothing seems to change. We are malnourished. This journey is getting too long. Of course, the journey will be too long unless we get up and eat something!
Dearly beloved, a Christian does not give up on life no matter how difficult and long the journey is. We cannot give up because we believe in a God who does not give up on us. He has given us Jesus Christ, the living bread from above, An eternal inexhaustible source of nourishment to tap into when the journey becomes long and impossible. He alone is a nourishment from above for those who want to survive. We must turn to Jesus Christ for nourishment and a renewed purpose to forge ahead until we reach Horeb, where nothing but the glory of God awaits us.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, when the journey is long and exhausting when I do not think I can continue anymore, nourish and refresh me. I trust in you because you are a God who does not give up on your children. Amen.
May God bless you.
-Rev. Fr. Kenneth Debre
Sunday, August 11, 2024.
Holy Rosary Parish, Hohoe.
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