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The first reading never ceases to amaze me! The Israelites had just been delivered from slavery, a brutal captivity where they were literally worked to death for hundreds of years. Their slave masters were so cruel and fearful that they even put their baby boys to death in the hope of stopping a future insurrection. As they were being set free, God’s people saw miracle after miracle, from the ten plagues to Moses parting the Red Sea as well as Pharaoh’s entire army destroyed by the hand of God. The Lord himself resided with them in the desert in a pillar of fire and a majestic cloud.
After only a short while, these mighty deeds were forgotten, taken for granted, and the Israelites started thinking back to the good old days…when they were slaves. Those days were great they said, because at least then, our masters gave us food. Forgetting the great gift of freedom, God’s people were willing to give it all back in exchange for an old way of life they were used to. Never mind it was literally killing them and their future!
This sort of blind ingratitude reminds me of a story of two old friends who bumped into each other on the street. One looked heartbroken, almost on the verge of tears. His friend asked, “What has the world done to you, dear friend?” The sad one said, “Let me tell you. Three weeks ago, an uncle died and left me $40,000.” “That’s a lot of money”, said his pal! “Then, two weeks ago, a cousin I never even met, died, and left me $85,000 with no strings attached.” “Sounds like you’ve been blessed”, his friend exclaimed! “You don’t understand!” he interrupted. “Last week my great aunt passed away. I inherited almost a quarter of a million from her.” Now his buddy was really confused. “Then, why do you look so upset?” “This week … there has been nothing!”
Today’s readings encourage us first to foster gratitude for the ways God frees and feeds us. The Lord loves us so much that he is willing to work incredible miracles to address both our physical hunger and our spiritual starvation; He is not indifferent to either. I suppose that is what makes the first reading so outrageous. God brought them out of slavery and oppression so they could be free; free to love Him, free to love each other, free to enjoy a Promised Land that would give them everything their hearts desired. If they realized how much God cared for them, they would have known that he would provide something as basic as daily food. But instead of acknowledging past favors with humble gratitude and then asking for what they needed with confident faith, they complained. Even worse, they wished to go back into slavery rather than trust in the One who had already brought them so far. Each of us can easily fall into this same spirit of ingratitude, complaining, and slavery. In many ways, we have received far more than the Israelites and the crowds that followed Jesus. We have the Eucharist, the sacraments, the teaching of the Church, the example of the saints, and the blessing of Scripture. But how often are we grateful? Do we thank God for taking care of us and trust that he will continue to provide what we need? Or do we act like the Israelites, quickly forgetting what he has done for us as soon as we experience hardship? Like them, are we quick to return to slavery, to what we know and are comfortable with, even when those familiar things cause us pain, heartbreak, and destroy our spiritual future?
In today’s Gospel, Jesus is pursued by the crowd he just fed with a bread-making miracle. He admonishes them, not because it’s bad to want to eat, and even better, to eat for free. He reproves them because they are relentless in their pursuit of earthly food but much less motivated in their search for the spiritual food that will give them eternal life. Once again, how close does this hit home for us?!
It would be an understatement to say that most Americans eat well. To have three full meals a day, if we want it, is not uncommon. Indeed, many of us eat five or six times a day, if coffee breaks, evening snacks and other times of grazing are counted. Drive down any major road or highway and count the number of fast-food places and restaurants that are found. Along a block or two of a busy thoroughfare, you may find a dozen eating establishments. Go into a major supermarket and count the variety of products that are similar. The only discernible difference often is in the brand name. For us, this is normal but to most of the world, our supermarkets must appear as temples to food and eating.
Once again, there is nothing wrong with restaurants, fast-food dining, and supermarkets; each of them address the need to feed the body and nurture the earthly life we have been given. But compare the quantity and quality of places that address our worldly needs with those that serve our spiritual cravings. As more parishes close for lack of membership and fewer people are willing even to give one hour a week in worship, it does not appear that people share the same eagerness to be fed spiritually as they are to be fed physically! In John 6, Jesus takes the preoccupation of the crowds with food and drink as an occasion to remind them of the more important needs of the spirit. Nourishment is needed for our spiritual life and growth. And since our souls will live forever, we should be dedicating significant time and effort to make sure they are being fed properly and often!
The great news is that this spiritual food is not restricted to the wealthy, powerful, or perfect! It is not affected by inflation, drought, or supply chains. Jesus cannot wait to give us what we need for body and soul if we are willing to trust Him and follow where he leads us. This trusting faith begins with gratitude, acknowledging that the God who loved us into existence, the God who provided for us yesterday, will continue to provide what we need today. As we continue with this Eucharist, a word that literally means “thanksgiving”, let us grow in gratitude for what God has done for us and pursue the spiritual food God offers with the same intensity and enthusiasm we do for our earthly food!
