Why are you a Christian? Why do you attend the Church that you attend? Does its doctrine fit your values? Is it sufficiently conservative, or liberal?
Does the pastor make you feel good? Does he give a good homily … run a good show? Do you leave feeling better about yourself?
Have you ever gone “church shopping” to find the church that you can “identify” with?
In today’s Gospel from John, we read about a large crowd of people … seekers … looking to find our Lord. But not because they were wanting to hear his words or experience his miracles. They were looking to be fed. Literally. Food.
They had been present the day before when the miracle of fishes and loaves fed many. They were hungry … but not hungry for the right things.
Jesus did not come to be a “bread king” for the hungry.
“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,
which the Son of Man will give you….”
This is a difficult lesson for many of us to hear. It’s only natural to want to find a Church that feeds you … that makes you feel good … lifts your spirit. On the other hand, if the homilies make you feel uncomfortable or dwell on a topic that is a little “touchy” do we respond by leaving?
That begs the question … are we seeking what we want from our faith? Or are we seeking what God wants for us? Are we merely seekers of a a “bread king?” Isn’t it a good thing to hear the word of God and feel a bit uncomfortable?
When you dig deep into these questions, it forces you to examine the basics of what you really believe in your heart and soul. And that is a good thing. Whether you are Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim, etc. … the essence of working out your salvation must be of paramount importance.
Do you truly believe in the faith of which you participate and worship? Do you truly believe in God and that God has a plan for you? Or do you want to dictate to Him what your beliefs should be?
Today’s first reading is a rather tense scene where St. Stephen, the Church’s first martyr is facing a mob that has accused him falsely. Certainly he would have rather been in more friendly confines. But God put him there and Stephen held fast to his faith.
Today is also the Memorial of St. Stanislaus, the patron saint of Poland, who also stood his ground and kept the faith. For that, he was put to death by King Boleslaus. That was probably not his preferred path in life.
What is your preferred path? A wise man once told me this: Do you know how to make God chuckle? Wake up and say to Him, “Lord, this is what I am going to do today …”
I might add it is also funny, or sad, to tell God … “Lord, you’ve got your truth and I have mine. Let’s just leave it at that.”
If you are in that boat, searching only for words that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside … proceed with caution.
