We are continuing the Eucharistic discourse that Jesus started on the previous Sunday reading with the multiplication of bread and fish. In the first reading (1Kg
19:4-8) Elijah is fed by angels of God in the wilderness. Elijah is given food
for his journey toward mount Horeb. In wilderness, the Israelites were given
manna as food for their journey toward promised land. With the inauguration of
kingdom of God, Jesus gives his flesh as food for our journey toward the
eternal promised land.
WILDERNESS
Elijah and Israelites were given food in the
wilderness, which is a place of desolation, despondency, hunger and thirst. Jesus
also multiplied five loaves and two fishes in the wilderness. All this shows
that the life in wilderness cannot be overcome without external or supernatural
help. Life in wilderness is dry and vulnerable. There is no security and chance
for getting solidarity. All that a person can expect in wilderness is death.
Elijah asks for that. He asks God to take his life after journeying for a day
into wilderness. The experience of isolation and hopeless nature of wilderness landscape
makes one to give up hope of rising again. At this devastating situation a
person is not in proper mind-set to distinguish between good and evil. The devil
often makes use of this chance to deviate persons. The devil comes to tempt the
person in wilderness. Jesus was tempted in wilderness! The temptation in utter
hopeless situation always leads a person to give consent to devil and make him
victorious. Jesus fought this hopeless situation with the help of God, thus
making devil defeated. Elijah and Israelites were supported by God in
wilderness with necessary food so that they no more grumble against God and be resolute
to heed the voice of God rather than giving consent to the temptations of the devil.
There arise many wilderness moments in our life, where in we feel lonely, isolated,
rejected… in all those moments to which voice do we pay heed? The voice that
make us sin (temptation by devil) or the voice that says to take and eat (receive sacraments/God’s
word).
Food for Journey
The fight against death in wilderness needs strength that can be gained
by in-taking of nutritious food. This pandemic has taught us to be conscious of
what we eat. Each time we eat we are defeating death and gaining life. But death
will overtake us one day even if we continue to eat nutritious food, because
this material food is not an assurance of prevention from death but only a support
for life until the expiration of one’s body. We also need food to fight against
the traps of devil. This food will make us live and prevent us from dying at
the snares of devil. The often we eat this food, the more we become stronger to
combat devil. The in-taking of this food is not support for some period of lifetime,
rather making us hold onto eternal life. If we fail in receiving this food we
will lose our hold on eternal life. This food is the flesh of Jesus –
Eucharist. In wilderness moments the in-taking of this Eucharistic bread will
make us heed to the voice of God and combat the temptation of devil. Why God
allows devil to tempt us is an unanswerable and incomprehensible question. But how
can we overcome the snares of devil is a most probable question. We can
overcome devil’s deviations with Eucharist – the food for our journey toward heaven.
JESUS, THE BREAD FROM HEAVEN
Manna, food given by angels to Elijah and Eucharist came from heaven. Among
all these Eucharist is not just food – wafer/bread – rather a person. In the Eucharistic
bread we are receiving the person of Jesus Himself. He says, “He is the bread
from heaven”(Jn 6:41) “seen the Father”(Jn 6:46) “whoever believes has eternal
life”(Jn 6:47). The origin of Jesus is heaven where there is neither beginning nor
an end. We are born in this world and move toward heaven to be eternal. Jesus
came from heaven to this earth to make us all reach heaven. We are journeying
toward heaven. The life of Jesus on earth was not focused on gaining heaven for
Himself because He is from heaven itself; His life on earth was like sojourn. His
coming down from heaven to earth is to enter into humanity as food to make us
all travel safely to eternal home. Only the believer will recognize the presence
of Jesus in the Eucharist. The receiving of Eucharist will make us hear His
inner voice that influence us, guide us in most important moments, in most
devastating and wilderness moments of our life. The earthly food guarantees
healthy life on earth. The heavenly food guarantees eternal life after the annihilation
of our bodily being. The fusion of eternal being with our material being make
us fraternal being on this earth to reach heaven as godly being.
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