The next few weeks call us to reflect on the importance of our Eucharistic faith. This binds us closer to God and to each other. As we enter the scene, we see Jesus seeking to feed the five thousand from what appears to be very little. When asked to live our faith in a culture that values strength, achievement, and power, this can often be our reaction. We tend to stake our lives on externals rather than the gifts that we have on hand. Some doubts emerge about whether we have enough for the task entrusted to us. There can be a sense in which we pray for what we believe we need rather than praying about what we need. Thus our intentions focus on what we believe we need to finish the job at hand rather than praying on what God desires for us.
The focus on the immediate can overflow into our daily lives. We bounce from one activity to the next trying to cram more into our daily that is physically possible. We start to make impossible demands upon ourselves and upon others. Our lives seem to be so busy that we become intolerant of delay, failure, and ambiguity. Yet St Paul in his letter to the Ephesians promotes selflessness, gentleness, and patience. The need is to become people who seek to build people up rather than tear them down. We are called to be in the race together.
Over the next few weeks, we will witness the Olympics which brings together people from many nations. The aim is to seek to build up unity through friendly competition and respect. Yet we know that from the opening ceremony, it seems that respect was not present to those who see the Eucharist as the summit and source of our life. In an age where tolerance is valued, it is disappointing to witness how little respect the organizers of the opening ceremony had for how this may be viewed by people of faith. Over the next few weeks, we pray that our hearts and minds may be open to finding ways of witnessing to our faith in little ways with great love.
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