SURRENDERING TO THE BREAD OF LIFE: HOMILY FOR THE 19TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR (B) Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D

SURRENDERING TO THE BREAD OF LIFE: HOMILY FOR THE 19^TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR (B)  Fr. Bonnie Anusiem Ph.D

I love to eat bread and I believe most people do too. Bread is actually among the commonest and most available snack in the world. Bread is thus a very flourishing commodity that cuts across the continents of the world. The Russians have their black (sweet) bread, in Italy they have the dry bread at every meal, and in France there is the brioche which is the sweet yeasted bread. In Germany they have the white bread. Americans have varieties of the product and in Nigeria we have so many types of bread from the most affordable Agege bread to the highly priced wheat, cake, fruit, and white bread. It could be said that around the world, a day is incomplete without a piece of bread. Of course we know that one of the immediate causes of the French Revolution was that the peasants had no bread to eat. In the entire Bible, bread is mentioned about 450 times.

In the first reading of today (1 Kings 19:4-8), we are presented with what happened to Elijah after his smashing victory over the prophets of baal at Mount Carmel. Jezebel the wicked wife of Ahab came after his life and he fled. However he got tired and weak on his way. In his desperation and fatigue under a shade he declared: “it is too much, Lord. Take away my life; I might as well be dead!” However while he was asleep God sent an angel to wake him up and invite him for a meal of bread and water. This was repeated twice and thereafter he got the strength that enabled him to undertake forty days and forty nights journey to encounter God at Mount Horeb.

In the gospel reading today (John 6:41-51) our Lord Jesus Christ continued his interlocution with the Jews who were searching for him basically for the sake of bread. I believe that the bread he miraculously multiplied was so sweet and nourishing that the people ardently desired a repeat of that miracle. However they were to receive the shock of their lives. Jesus was ready to give them bread, but this time the living bread which came down from heaven, which is at the same time his flesh. The Jews were not ready to accept this at all and thus reminded him of his paternity and maternity which they were very familiar with and per adventure very ordinary to them. Jesus went on to reveal to them the connection which he shares with God the father and his readiness to give eternal life to all who comes to him. He further established that he is the living bread that has come down from heaven. The living bread that is far more satiating and life-giving than the manna their ancestors ate in the desert and had died thereafter. The living bread is his flesh and through it the world is given life.

From the episode connected with Elijah in the first reading we locate ourselves as pilgrims in life on our way to God. In our lives, we often experience trials like Elijah. Sometimes we are even down and hopeless. Often we wish we were dead than living with challenges. Sometime we are being pursued by some “Jezebels” in various forms and shapes. We face a lot of “Jezebels” in our families, places of work, in our studies, in our relationships, in our businesses and sundry. Jezebel here stands for challenges of life, it stands for obstacles and lacks in our lives. There are times we have “Jezebel” experiences that we believe that we cannot manage. In such situations, we should be confident on these: “God cares about us and He is ready to support us!” (Prov.3:5; Romans 8: 37-39; 1 Pet.5:7). God displayed His love for Elijah by providing bread for him which actually gave him the strength to walk the forty days journey to encounter Him at Mount Horeb.

Drawing a relational line from the experience of Elijah to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ today, we see ourselves as privileged; perhaps more privileged than Elijah. Elijah ate bread and water and was able to reach Mount Horeb from the strength he got from the meal. In our own context we are given the living bread, which is more powerful, more generative of eternal life than the bread Elijah took. We are also given the blood of Jesus Christ to drink which is thicker and more effectual than the water Elijah drank. Furthermore Elijah was led by the strength from the bread and water to Mount Horeb, but the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is meant to lead us not to any physical location on earth, but to eternal life with God in heaven.

Our Lord made it clear for us that we can only have life from the living bread. Yes! Though we may have reasons to eat different kinds of bread available in different shops and supermarkets around us, there is this bread that is fundamentally very important for our well being. Beyond taste, texture, hygiene, size, packaging is the living bread which came down from heaven. This is the body (and blood) of our Lord Jesus Christ, together with his soul and divinity that contains all that we need in life. If a small flash drive or chip can have gigabyte capacity of up to 8, 16, 32, 64, what more of the living bread which is Jesus Christ himself. Surely in our Lord Jesus Christ present in the Holy Eucharist we are sure to get uncountable gigabytes of blessings!

As you approach the living bread today at the table of the Holy Eucharist, you only need to believe and you will be given all you need to walk through life and overcome all the raging “Jezebels”. As you approach the bread that came down from haven you need to anchor your hope on his power to translate your fatigue into favour, your shame into fame, and your challenges into chances. As Elijah surrendered himself to God when His human power failed him, you need to surrender yourself to the living bread today. He says in Matthew (11:28) come to me all you who labour and are over burdened and I will give you rest.

 You may like to sing along with me this song:

1. All to Jesus I surrender;
   All to Him I freely give;
   I will ever love and trust Him,
   In His presence daily live.
• Refrain:
  I surrender all,
  I surrender all;
  All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
  I surrender all.
2. All to Jesus I surrender;
   Humbly at His feet I bow,
   Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
   Take me, Jesus, take me now.
3. All to Jesus I surrender;
   Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
   Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
   Truly know that Thou art mine.
4. All to Jesus I surrender;
   Lord, I give myself to Thee;
   Fill me with Thy love and power;
   Let Thy blessing fall on me.
5. All to Jesus I surrender;
   Now I feel the sacred flame.
   Oh, the joy of full salvation!
   Glory, glory, to His Name!

 You are blessed always and happy Sunday.

Revolting against God and Searching for Jesus Christ: Homily for the eighteenth Sunday in ordinary time year (B). Rev. Fr. Boniface Anusiem Ph.D

Revolution is a well known phenomenon in our human society. It can be described as a turnaround against an existing structure which can be socio-political, economic, cultural or ideological. In recorded history we are aware of a good number of revolutions; in fact from 2380 BC to 2012 there were more than four hundred revolutions. The prominent among them were the French, American, English, Russian, Turkish, Chinese, Iranian and quiet recently Egyptian, Libyan and Syrian revolutions.

In every revolution, there is a significant general reaction from a group. In all the revolutions known in history one could see a minority or suffering group suddenly rising up to oppose the measures of the majority or draconian group. Though individually we could fall into religious dyslexia and begin to question God on certain experiences, but for a group of people, nay a race to decide to join their voices and hands to revolt against the God who had been superlatively kind is only known among the Israelites within the context of their journey to the Promised Land. In the first reading today we are presented with the story of the revolt of the Israelites against God through their murmuring to Moses and Aaron.

The people just left the land of Egypt, the land of slavery. It was not long they miraculously crossed over the Red Sea. On reaching the other side of the Red Sea, they started revolting as a people. They started murmuring because they were hungry. In their revolt, they wished they died in Egypt where they had meat to eat. A closer examination of the content of the people’s revolt showed how ungrateful they could be. Fifteen day after crossing the Red Sea they began to accuse God of planning to do away with them in the desert. Two weeks and one day after an amazing crossing over to the other side of life they wished that they were on the other side of slavery and death. After a fortnight the people of Israel imagined that God had abandoned them to perish. We are often like the Israelites; quick to forget the things God had done for us. Very prone to undermining God’s power and might during the desert experiences of our lives. Yes life is not all milk and honey. Actually before we get to the “milk and honey landscape” we may necessary pass through the desert of difficulties. The desert stands for the period of trials. The desert stands for the period of challenges.

In the gospel reading of today, we are presented with the aftermath of the multiplication of loaves. It is expected that those who participated in the meal from the five loaves of bread and two fish went home with joy and recounted the event to those who could not come. Based on this news so many people came and began the ultimate search for Jesus. I can imagine the desperation during the legendry search for the Lord. This search actually reminds me of the usual final lap of the Reality Show in Nigeria called Gulder Ultimate Search. In all the eight seasons one notices the anxiety and desperation that overwhelms the usually last two or  three contestants who search frantically for the hidden treasure at a given location. The person who finds it wins!

 For the searchers of Jesus in the gospel periscope of this Sunday one treasure is at stake and that is bread and perhaps fish. They were actually committed searchers. They saw his followers leaving with boat but without him; however crossing over to the other side of the sea they saw Jesus and wondered how he crossed over. Unknown to them he walked on the sea, just like the Israelites crossed over the Red Sea (though on dry shod). Meeting the people the other side of the sea he was confronted with the statement that they had been on the lookout for him. Their motive for searching for him was not hidden from our Lord and he told them directly and bluntly that their frantic search is directly connected with the multiplication of bread he did and not faith in the miracle itself. Here (John 6:26) Jesus Christ made it clear that there is a distinction between the outcome of a miracle and why such a given miracle was performed. Let us not attempt to understand why the miracle was done. Jesus Christ did not perform the miracle just for the sake of giving the people dinner; he actually established from the miracle that God cares comprehensively about us. He went on to tell them not to be bothered about perishable food, but about the one that gives eternal life and that is the one he (our Lord) gives.  Furthermore they asked what they can do to do what God wants and Jesus asked to believe in the one he sent.

The people did not give up on the last statement of our Lord as they pressed further by asking Jesus for a miracle to convince them to believe in him. They quoted the miracle of the Manna in the first reading. In essence the people were insistent for another miracle of multiplication of bread. That was why they took the pain and risk to cross over the sea to Capernaum. Our Lord then turned their attention to another kind of bread which upon partaking in it they will not be hungry again. Instantly they opted for that “miracle bread”. Contrary to their expectation, Jesus told them that he is that bread, the bread of life. This discussion will continue in the coming Sunday on Jesus Christ as the Living Bread.

 Today we concerned with the revolt against God and the search for Jesus Christ. An attentive reflection of these two activities connects us with a common factor that explains why the people revolted against God in the first reading and the ultimate search for Jesus Christ in the gospel reading. This factor is simply the satisfaction of physical hunger with food (be it in form of bread, meat or fish). This is the same situation with most of us. When we are faced with some identifiable lacks in our lives, we tend to put God on the hot seat to provide answers why things should not be excellent for us. But when we get superlative or good times we tend to forget that God even exists.

On the other hand most of us join the band wagon to fro the Church on Sundays and other days, but the question is “ for what specific motive?”. It is not uncommon that most of us butterfly from one church to the other, from one religious house to another in search of miracles. Some people are fundamentally attracted to those worship centres where it is perceived that there is someone (a man or a woman) who sees vision and can perform wonders. This is not actually the essence of our Christian vocation. The great miracle is that you know God; the greater miracle is that you worship Him, love him as well as others and the greatest miracle is that you finally succeed to be with him in heaven. If we understand these very well there will not be need for us to revolt nor search for Jesus because of perishable things but for values that are eternal (Matt. 6:33).

Have a wonderful Sunday and indeed a graceful Month of August.