We hear today that: "The people began to complain..." (Jn 6: 41) and that they do so among themselves (Jn 6: 43). They do not want to challenge Jesus face to face. Jesus, in response, makes a connection with the Hebrews in the desert during the Exodus. There we find that from very early on the people complain against Moses and Aaron (Ex 16: 2; 17: 3; Num 11: 1; 20: 3) Jesus' teaching, like the hardships in the desert, test the faith of those who listen to him. They can accept that he has fed them with bread but they cannot believe that he can feed them with himself as the Bread of Life. Likewise, the Israelites could accept being brought through the Red Sea out of Egypt but do not believe that God will sustain them in the desert. The question for us, as missionary disciples of the Lord, is what are the limits on our faith. We accept that Jesus died and rose again but can he guide the Church today? Can he rescue us from all of the perils of atheistic materialism and other hostile ideologies that surround us and seek to marginalize, if not destroy, the Faith? Our faith has to be real. Our trust in Providence and power of God to save must find expression in our day to day conduct and not just in a ritualized faith that affirms the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. We must also testify to how God has worked in our own lives to bring joy, healing and love that liberates and consoles. If we do not, we risk being like the Israelites who complained against God and the Jews who complained about Jesus.
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