Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk

19^th Sunday of the Year, B – August 12, 2018.

Readings: 1 Kings 19:4-8; Ps 34:2-3.4-5.6-7.8-9 (R.9a);  

Ephesians 4:30-5:2; Gospel – John 6:41-51.

Theme: Get Up & Eat!

Introduction

Beloved in Christ, because of the centrality of the Holy Eucharist in the Catholic Church, we are presented with yet another opportunity to reflect on the importance of that sacrament in our lives and the life of the Christian community. The physical nourishment that God provides Prophet Elijah with in the first reading prepares us for the message of the gospel wherein Christ insists: “The bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world.” Our reflection tilted, “Get Up And Eat” is predicated upon the crucial place of the Eucharist in our lives as Christians and the hope which it offers namely, we shall wine and dine with Christ in heaven. This reflection which begins with two stories shall scan through the background and summary of the readings, pastoral application and practical lessons as well as homiletic points to remember.

A Man & his Car and the Wedding Banquette Narratives

I bring you two stories I got from WhatsApp which I modified. Early this year, I decided to service my car for enhanced performance at the following cost: Engine oil N4,500; oil Filter N1,000; change of front wheel boris N25,000; four tyres 205/70 Rim 16@26,500: N106,000; wheel balancing and alignment: N3,500; servicing and workmanship N10,000; ejector cleaner and fuel-preservator: N1,500 and full tank N13,500.  The total cost was N160,000. While I was brooding over what happened during the course of the day, I thought about the sad news of the demise of three different Engineers in their 40s and 50s who died in, January, April and July 2018 respectively. I learnt that they complained of simple signs and symptoms which eventually led to their untimely deaths. 

I asked myself, how much did I invest in my spiritual life?  For how long will I keep thinking all is well with my life when my spiritual life is in jeopardy? I spend so much money on my car yet fail to invest in my spiritual life. It was then it dawn on me that although I don’t need to pay money to go for confession, I have not patronized that sacrament for many years now. Although I spend money to change the vital parts of my car, attending Sunday Mass and feeding my soul with the bread of life has not being of top priority to me. In fact, sometimes, I defy the fact that failing to attend Mass without a cogent reason amounts to mortal sin by going for sports or attending our tribal meeting with no remorse.  

What is more, I asked myself when last I did a comprehensive spiritual check-up in terms of assessing how I have forgiven those who have wronged me or how many times I have read the bible and engaged in both mental and vocal prayer. I told myself, Mr. Man, check your heart, eyes, ears, hands and legs to see if they glorify God. I thought of how many times I ensured my car was in order so as to drove through rough roads yet fail to empower myself spiritually to fight the battle against the devil. The last question that came to my mind was, “your vehicle or your spiritual life?” If my car could gulp over #160,000 in an instance just for fine tuning, I think I deserve to diagnose and upgrade my system spiritually otherwise if I die prematurely today like the three people I earlier mentioned, where will I spend eternity? 

In a related development, I attended a wedding ceremony which had about 30 people in attendance. I sat in the front seat. A Lady started distributing food. She started from the back row. Unfortunately, it did not get to those of us who were sitting at the front row. Another Lady started sharing the drinks. She started from the front. But unfortunately, I had already moved to sit at the back. Again, the drink did not get to me. I was so furious that I stood up to take my leave but then, I saw three ladies approaching us, each with a big bowl. This time around, I tried to be smart. I sat right at the middle. One of the Ladies started the sharing from the front; the second Lady started distributing from the back. The two Ladies were sharing roasted chicken. When they got to the middle where I was seated, it got finished again. Feeling so frustrated, I bent my head, putting my face in my hands... but then, the third Lady tapped me and stretched her bowl for me to pick. Joyfully, I stretched and put my hands inside the bowl...guess what was in the bowl? Toothpicks! We shall return to the moral of these two stories soon. 

Background & Summary of the Readings

The first reading (1 Kings 19:4-8) recalls how the Prophet Elijah was frustrated in the wilderness while on his way to Horeb, the mountain of the Lord and attempted to kill himself. However, after he fell asleep, the angel of the Lord supplied scone (food) and water with the instruction: “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too long for you.” He obliged the Lord and strengthened by that food, we are told he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of the Lord. 

In the second reading (Ephesians 4:30-5:2), St. Paul charges that we live the fruits of the Eucharist by demanding that we should: Never have grudges against others, or lose our temper, or raise our voice to anyone, or call each other names, or allow any sort of spitefulness. He suggested that we should be friends with one another and also kind forgiving each other as God readily forgives us in Christ Jesus. Since he offered himself as a fragrant offering acceptable to God, Paul exhorts that we imitate God as children of his that he loves and follow Christ as he loved us. 

The Gospel reading (John 6:41-51) presents an exposé on the Holy Eucharist. Therein, Jesus says: “I am the bread of life – the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world.” Jesus reiterated that it is unlike the bread their ancestors ate in the desert and died. On the contrary, this is the bread which gives eternal life to anyone who partakes of it. 

Pastoral Application & Practical Lessons

1. The journey of Prophet Elijah which can be likened to the spiritual journey of all God’s sons and daughters reminds us that as we match towards heaven, our pilgrim journey will be marked by trials, tribulations, temptations and even scarcity but when we pour our sentiments to God, he is able to supply not only scone food or water but all that we may ever think or imagine – after all, the word of God says: “He can do infinitely much more than we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).

2. We must not forget that Elijah’s supplies relates with his obedience to the instruction “Get up and Eat – What this translates to is that in a world where people prefer to command God, he desires that we listen to him first and obey him second,  if we want to experience the miracle of our lifetime.   

3.  Our liturgy calls us to reflect on the liturgy of life namely, living the fruits of the Holy Eucharist such as not bearing grudges against others or losing our temper – Rather, it challenges us to kind and temperate forgiving each other as God has forgiven us through Christ. 

4.  The story of a man and his car urges us to invest in our spiritual lives by defying time and circumstances to remove everything that puts our spiritual lives in jeopardy and invest in the sacraments – Penance, Holy Communion, Holy Matrimony, et al.

5. Just as we spend much money to change the vital parts of our vehicles, we ought to support the missionary work of the Church with our resources as a response to attending Sunday Mass and feeding our souls with the bread of life - Going for sports or attending our tribal meetings in place of Holy Mass amounts to mortal sin forgivable by sacramental confession.

6. Christians are reminded about the need for doing a comprehensive spiritual check-up in terms of assessing how many times they have forgiven those who have wronged them, read the bible or  engaged in both mental and vocal prayer – If our hearts, eyes, ears, hands and legs cannot glorify God, we have missed the mark.

7. We are urged to get up and eat from the table of the Lord so as to drive through the bumpy and rocky road of life – Empowering ourselves with the power of the Holy Spirit is indispensable in the fight against devil forces.

8. In order to diagnose and upgrade our system spiritually, we need to answer the question, “Your vehicle or your spiritual life?” which pokes us to ponder about how much we spend on things like car-maintenance while neglecting the maintenance of our souls.

9. Like the Prophet Elijah and the man in the wedding banquette narrative, we need patience to reach the mountain of the Lord and also get food whenever we attend a wedding ceremony – It is the Holy Communion that is the most sought-after medicine for impatience.

10. Like the man in the story of the wedding banquette, most of us are smart in accessing physical food but dull in acquiring the food for the soul – When Church wardens tap our pew to go for the reception of Holy Communion at Mass, like the third usher in the story, do we get up joyfully or grudgingly? How many youths have lost the opportunity to receive the Eucharist because they rushed into marriage as a result of toxic relationships and ended up in a situation where they cannot be admitted into Holy Communion? How many people in Church today are patient to undergo marriage course for six months, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for three years, Seminary Formation or Formation to the Religious Life for 9 to 10 years?  

Homiletic Points to Remember

1. The physical nourishment that God provides Prophet Elijah with in the first reading prepares us for the message of the gospel.

2. Our reflection…is predicated on the crucial place of the Eucharist in our lives as Christians and the hope that we shall wine and dine with Christ in heaven.

3. This is the bread which gives eternal life to anyone who partakes of it.

4. We should be friends with one another and also kind forgiving each other as God readily forgives us in Christ Jesus.

5. Like the man in the story of the wedding banquette, most of us are smart in accessing physical food but dull in acquiring the food for the soul. 

Conclusion

Today, Jesus reminds us: “I am the bread of life – the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world.” We must make concerted efforts to receive the Eucharist. Like Elijah, God is calling you to rise up and ascend his throne of grace to commune with him. Since this is the bread that endures for eternal life, it means that we ought to celebrate the sacrament and communicate in perpetuity; in memorial of him. At Mass, the priest says: “This is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to the supper of the lamb.” At every Mass, you are called. Will you get up and eat? Have a blessed Sunday celebration!