26/07/2009 - 17th. Sunday in Ordinary
Season - B
Ist. Reading 2Kg 4,42-44 Psalm 144 2nd. Reading Eph 4,1-6 Gospel Jn 6,1-15
"Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven". With these words
of our prayer, Jesus helps us to lift up our eyes, or better, it supposes that
our eyes are always fixed on that which is beyond and above this earth. How
to fulfill the will of the Father? We are here on earth, but our desires are
to be rooted in heaven. In heaven the love of the Father knows no hindrances
because those who are there are free to love, free from the strong drive of
selfishness, from every pride, from every temptation to lie. Those who are in
heaven have fulfilled the will of the Father with determination, readiness,
joy, with the same love by which God plan his will. Our Earth should become
a continuation of heaven, and we proclaim that we are ready that this happen.
Let us therefore, as much as it is given to us, to imitate the ways of the angels
and of our brethren who already live there and change it into the City of God.
They do not put forward before the Father some other proposal, opinions, or
reasoning, neither their own point of view. They know that the will of the Father
is this great, beautiful, and powerful love that makes one worthy when fulfilled.
The angels and the saints become our teachers! Your will be done! Let us keep
always alive the desire to do and to know, the will of the Father. We know that
he does not force us to do anything because he made us free children. Like a
true daddy he hold on to the fact that the children grow into mature persons,
able to do responsible choices: this is why he does not force us, even so, he
respect our freedom although there is the risk that we do evil. It's up to us
to insist on him in prayer: Father, show me your will because I want to work
with you in the transformation of the world into a place of love. With the Psalmist
we continue to say: "Lord, make me know your ways, and teach me your decrees.
Lead me into your truth and teach me, because you are the God of my salvation,
in you I have hoped" (Ps 25,4).
Elisha's servant was not able to obey him. The command of his master was very
unusual. According to him, it would have showed him bad. He reasoned that it
would be better not to put out anything than to put twenty barley loaves in
front of hundred people! But Elisha repeats his command and the servant obeys,
and the glory of God is manifested: God obeys to the words of love of his servant.
The sign of the Father's loves is repeated thanks to the words of Jesus. His
disciples, finding themselves in a worst situation than that of the prophet,
succeed only to calculate in money. First Philip, then Peter, seem not to remember
the story of Elisha, and one calculates in terms of 'denari' needed, and the
other one on the poverty of their pockets: both felt helpless to do something.
Instead, Jesus knows that he is loved by the Father, and knows that the Father
does not only love his disciples, but also that crowd of five thousand men who
followed him for days to listen to him. He is sure that the Father provides.
Jesus goes up the mountain, knowing that the mountain is the place where the
presence and the beauty of God are manifested: God is manifested thanks to the
faith of Jesus and his words by which he renders him thanks, and through simple,
but sure signs, of his trust in the Father. To fulfill the manifestation of
the presence and goodness of God, Jesus needs man's collaboration: of his disciples,
but also of a kid, who offers his little things and trust them in his hands.
Five barley loaves and two fish become the symbol of the miracles of God! When
someone give him everything, all that he is and has, God performs wonders, to
show us clearly what is his will for us: he wants us to share everything, that
we live like true brothers and sisters, like true children of the God who is
love. Even the recommendations of the apostle to the Christians are to be read
in this light: be brothers every…live loving as brothers. Be brothers, but not
perfect: you are still sinners, therefore be patient with one another, do not
allow that your defects and your sins have a greater effect than that of your
fraternity. Be brothers, therefore, be united in peace, with all humility and
gentleness. Be brothers because God is your Father, therefore do not allow that
your sins or those of your brothers, cancel this identity: forgive one another,
be merciful, live not to sustain your interests, but to give glory to your Father.
St. Paul underlines the fact that we are united into one body through Jesus,
and hence we could have no right or no valid reason to break this unity. We
hold that the sins of the other brothers or our interests, are the valid motivation
to argue, but in doing so we ruin what we have best, our unity, by which we
are an obstacle to the enemies of the Kingdom of God. Material interest has
forced Jesus to go away from that crowd satisfied with the bread as fruit of
his prayer and hands. The people wanted to make him a king, a king who could
give free bread. They have not understand that to eat the bread of joy, one
need to a brother, a sister, renouncing selfish interests. The people had not
recognized in him the one sent by God, sent to take away the sin that divides.
Jesus withdrew once again to the mountain, this time alone, to help the people
to think about what happened, what they have just lived, and to help them take
up their responsibility.