The way of discipleship is letting go of self-determination to control things, situations, and persons in our lives to be happy and at peace. Today’s readings challenge us to let go of our sense of self-sufficiency, dependence, security, control, possession of power, wealth, and fame.
The Christian Marriage has its foundation in God! It is God’s divine plan for a man and a woman. It is only pro-creational in collaboration with the divine plan. It is also the propagation, nourishment and sustenance of the human race on earth.
Suffering is the way of discipleship of Christ. Discipleship is the process of learning to love and follow Jesus and becoming more like him in our attitudes and actions. It is a commitment to the cross that implies pain, suffering and even death.
The broken God or the brokenness of God is the holistic redemption of man. Hence, the joy of suffering in the Christian living is total submission to God’s will. The suffering of a Christian is never a curse or punishment from God.
Undoubtedly, God is a God of the poor, the needy and the less privileged. A God whose thoughts, words and actions offer us comfort, healing, restoration and transformation from our situations.
The Word of God should be consoling and reassuring, especially to the poor and the seemingly hopeless situations that face us daily. It comforts us at our trials, difficulties and even temptations when we feel like giving up to hopelessness.
Christianity is a life of an inner grace that transforms us from within into Christ-like. That is good people: priests, Christians, parents, children etc. It is not an external life of show-offs, eye or lips services. Sadly, enough, today many so-called Christians are wolves in sheep’s clothing living a double-standard life.
Christ is the Eucharist body, soul and divinity is our life on earth. With Him, life is nothing and means nothing. If we eat his body and drink his blood then we will have life in us, an abundant life and life eternal. Our eating Christ’s flesh and drinking his body is not symbolic and figurative. It is the Real Presence of his Body and Blood to us.
Christ Jesus is our satisfaction. He is the author and the finisher of our faith. He is the portion marked out by God for us. In life, there is no doubt that we have various pangs of hunger that need to be satisfied but, above them all is the spiritual hunger that only God in Christ Jesus can spiritually satisfy in us.
There is a miracle of abundance and superabundance when there is love and sharing with others. This is the central focus of this Sunday’s readings, especially the gospel. It is God that multiplies, but not out of nothing. It is what we bring to God in faith and trust that he multiplies into abundance for us all. The love action of sharing our little is the miracle of abundance for many who are lacking.
Compassion and empathy are the most important characteristics that differentiate Jesus from the religious authorities of his time. One notable thing is that the people must have noticed the remarkable difference between Christ and other religious authorities in his time. Possibly, they have seen how he treats them with kindness, respect, and dignity and not with shame, imposition, and guilt like the Jewish religious authorities.