Most Reverend Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv DD STL, Bishop of Parramatta
Homily for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Readings: Exodus 16:2-4,12-15; Ephesians 4:17,20-24; John 6:24-35
4 August 2024
Modelling a new way of living, that witnesses to our higher calling
Dear sisters and brothers,
We are living in a time of profound global challenges. Apart from the perennial issues such as violence, conflict, displacement, disease and hunger, we are also moving into a perilous new territory where the survival of our planet itself is at stake. We need a vision and an urgent plan of action that extends beyond immediate political cycles and short-term profits. We need to muster our collective courage to secure a viable future for ourselves and our children. It is time for us to think and act with the interest of future generations in mind. It is time for a new attitude, a new mind, a paradigm shift if you will, so that we can consciously move into a new future of hope and long-term security for all of God’s children and creation.
We espouse a love that transcends borders and a social friendship that makes universal brotherhood possible. We are the vehicle of God’s plan for a shared destiny of hope, communion and life for all.
In the first reading today, we hear the story of God’s people being summoned to be the beacon of the new humanity. Faced with the unknown and hostile wilderness, the Israelites complained against Moses. They wanted to go back to the slavery in Egypt rather than to persevere on the journey of transformation. They got cold feet when the going got tough. They faltered in their vocation to embody God’s covenant of mutual love, justice and mercy.
God’s response is to provide them with manna, which did not simply satisfy their physical hunger. Rather, it was a sign that God could act outside Pharaoh’s monopoly. What is at stake here is the commitment to rebuild Israel into a counter-witness to Egypt. The test was not so much about food or drink as one’s allegiance. Like the miracle at Meriba where God made water gush from a rock, manna in the desert was a theological statement that God could act outside Pharaoh’s system. Israel was made to understand that they must have the courage to pursue God’s program of renewal which would transform them into his instrument for the nations.
This is also the message of Jesus in the Gospel story. In the previous episode last Sunday, Jesus fed a hungry crowd with the loaves and fishes. But this meal was not simply to be a temporary relief to hunger. It was meant to foreshadow the divine hospitality and abundance of the kingdom. So much so that those who partake of God’s meal have to rise to a new level of living the divine generosity and fidelity.
The people, however, failed to grasp the meaning of Jesus’ action. Instead of rising to a new level of consciousness, or in the words of Paul in the second reading “letting their mind be renewed by a spiritual revolution”, they were fixated with bodily satisfaction. This is why Jesus was at pains to tell them “Do not work for food that cannot last, but work for food that endures to eternal life.” He goes on to compare the manna of old with the real bread from heaven. Manna was food for the exodus from slavery; but he himself is the food for the new exodus into freedom, liberation and wholeness.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Like the Jews of old, we are fearful of the chaos and uncertain future ahead. We yearn for the certainty and security of the past. Yet the call of authentic discipleship is the call to enter into the deep rivers, to walk on the burning coals and to undergo the baptism of fire. This was what Mary MacKillop and her pioneer sisters undertook. They rose to the occasion, let loose the spirit and embodied the Gospel of equity, compassion and flourishing for all.
Today, we too must have the courage to model a new way of living, being and relating that witnesses to our calling. Jesus challenged the people with an all-encompassing vision of life which was beyond what they had been accustomed to. This same challenge is issued to us today to shake us out of our comfort zones and familiar routines. Can we rise above our distorted search for happiness and our self-centred concern? Can we break with our ambitious pursuits for power and possessions in order to work for something of greater significance? Do we have the courage to embody God’s alternate vision for humanity and demonstrate a different way to live as a kingdom community? This is indeed the call to discipleship and transformation.
In the face of painful transition, let us be empowered by the God of the Exodus who accompanies us beyond our limited horizons. May we not be enslaved to short-term solutions but open our minds to new possibilities that come with new consciousness aligned with the Gospel. May we work for the food of abundance that God intends for all of his children and his creation.
