Daily reflection _ a good person in front of us

A GOOD PERSON IS IN FRONT OF US
We don't need to understand why. We just need to know that our heavenly Father is the One we love, trust, obey, and thank.
Deacon John Ruscheinsky
In the Book of Genesis, God surprises us by manifesting some traits that appear very human: He becomes angry and disgusted with sinful ways of human living. "When the Lord God saw how great was man's wickedness on earth... He regretted that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was grieved" (Gen 6:5-6). But - and this is a big but -- humanly speaking, God was saved from "despair" by finding one good person, Noah. Isn't that what we can and must also do in the face of our discouragement? If we look around, we can find not just one but often many good people who give us and our world hope. A good person is usually in front of us! Reflect on the Noah's in our own experience, in our neighborhoods, and among those with whom we spend a lot of our time in the workplace. Couples have dedicated themselves with little hope of recognition for being wonderful parents and spouses. The widow suffers other challenges in life alone who is always on hand to listen and share others' grief. A stranger comes to one's aid in an unhappy moment. Most of us can balance all the turbulent times in our lives with the help of good people who bring God's goodness to us.
Today in the Gospel, St. Mark tells us that the apostles set off in their boat across the Sea of Galilee only to discover that they forgot to bring enough food for their journey. What were they to do, miles away from land and a place where they can buy food and supplies? They are anxious of course, and this has happened right after Jesus Christ had performed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes where the disciples fed more than four thousand people. Jesus knows the trouble in the disciples' hearts even before they can speak. Jesus deals with their anxiety by first warning them to not fear what can harm the body rather than what can destroy the very heart and soul of their being. Jesus cautions them to beware of the bread that corrupts and leads to death, such as the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. Our "daily bread" is whatever nourishes us, not just physically, but also spiritually, intellectually, and morally in our lives.
Jesus reminds us in Scripture today of His miraculous provision of bread in the feeding of the thousands. He unbraids the Apostles for their lack of trust in God, and He challenges us today as well. "Do you not yet understand?" (Mk 8:17) It's easy to get preoccupied with the problems and needs of the present moment and to forget the most important reality of all: God's abiding presence in us and His abundant provision for our lives.
We learn from our responsorial psalm today that we need God to keep on putting up with us, patiently teaching, forgiving, and "blessing His people with peace" (Ps 29:11). We don't need to understand why. We just need to know that our heavenly Father is the One we love, trust, obey, and thank.
Father, give us this day our daily bread. We see what we are; we become what we eat. We are the Body of Christ, blessed and then broken, shared by us all, so that we become Christ's presence to God's people. Amen!