18th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B
We are confused on the reason why there is so much evil on the world today! We are disheartened, saddened and even angered by the events of our time like how the world has rejected God and how our younger and older generation are abandoning their faith and religion! But in truth, we all really know the reason for all these eventualities. The greatest challenge of Christianity today is Worldliness. Worldliness has destroyed Christianity, Christians and even the Church. Jesus in today’s gospel reading from the gospel of Saint John 6:24-35 openly condemns Worldliness while expressing His disappointment in the crowd for seeking Him for the wrong reasons and confronted them saying, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you." With these words, Jesus points out to them that He is God’s gift to them and not the bread He had given or fed them with. Also, Jesus goes on to emphasize that they need to have faith in Him and in His teachings that come from God by stating "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst."
My dear friends in Christ, are we fighting Worldliness as Christians or have we joined the world in fighting and destroying our Catholic faith and the Church today? Do we seek God for the wrong reasons or do we seek Him because He is our Maker, Creator and Redeemer? Do we as Catholic Christians seek the True Bread of life, Jesus Christ, who would lead us to eternal life in heaven or do we seek the earthly bread or material things that gives us a transitory satisfaction? Have we allowed ourselves to be deeply immersed in worldliness and its affairs forgetting that the earth is not our home because we are just passing through? Are we really followers or disciples of Christ since we are not truly following Him but have chosen the path of worldliness and earthly interests that will lead us to hell rather than lead us to heaven?
My brothers and sisters in Christ, it is time to transform our lives and heed Christ’s call to us today in the gospel reading by rejecting worldliness and by putting our faith in Him because He is the bread of life; and whoever comes to Him will never hunger, and whoever believes in Him will never thirst. Amen!
