Jesus knew that our journey would be difficult, so He gave us the nourishment of the Eucharist, his body and blood. It is a gift He gives out of love.
In today’s first reading Elijah seems ready to give up. His calling has become a burden. Yet, God, out of love, gives Elijah the nourishment he needs to continue. Sometimes, in the face of the constant media barrage telling us to seek more and more pleasure and possessions, the stewardship way of life may seem burdensome. The opposite is true. People discover that a lived experience of stewardship is actually very freeing and the stewardship way of life offers many rewards. When we grow weary on the journey, we are blessed to share in the Eucharist which gives us strength.
When we surrender our wills to God we allow our lives to be directed to His purpose. Elijah asked God to end his life, but God instead nourished him and sent him on his way to carry out a prophetic mission. Jesus explained to the Jews that He was bread sent from heaven and if one listened to the Father and came to Him, one would be nourished by living bread. Jesus’ life is a constant source of instruction in the life and love of God. May we seek the truth offered to us by Jesus and model that Truth in our lives as a testimony to the love of God the Father.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Saint Paul reminds us Christians that we imitate God
through our kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. Saint Paul urges us to be mindful that part of our life together in the Eucharist means being kind to one another, compassionate and forgiving, just as Christ has forgiven us. What can we do this week to show our kindness, compassion and forgiving attitude toward others in our family of faith? How can we be even better stewards of our faith community as, what St. Paul refers to as “Imitators of God?”
We imitate God when we give of ourselves as He gives, i.e., out of love.
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