SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT
Feeding a person can be a profound sign of love. For Jesus, it was the
Gift of Himself.
The Resurrection is
Good News precisely because it means that everything Jesus was during His
earthly life - a Teacher, a Forgiver of sins, a Healer, a Life-Giver - He still
is today! Because of the Resurrection, the Power of Jesus' ministry flows
through all places and times.
In our reading from
the Acts of the Apostles, we see the power and grace of Jesus' ministry flowing
into new places and people. A crippled man finds new life; He is cured through
the ministry of Peter and John. Then, in a sermon, Peter extends an invitation
of a new life in Christ to all those gathered around him. Speaking of Jesus, he
says, "There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other
Name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved"
(Acts 4:12). That holds true for us today - Jesus continues to teach, forgive,
heal, and give us new life - but the greatest gift of all, is the Gift of
Himself and His unconditional love! Jesus "is 'the stone rejected by you,
the builders, which has become the cornerstone'" (Acts 4:11).
The Gospel we just
proclaimed took place sometime between Easter Sunday and Pentecost. The
Apostles were in a state of confusion. They felt lost and alone without Jesus
and wondered what the future would hold for them. When Jesus appeared to them,
the first thing He did was give them something to eat. He did so because
feeding a person can be a profound sign of love. For Jesus, it was the Gift of
Himself.
We can all notice
how mothers are always eager to show their love to their adult children when
they return home for a visit. They want to feed them! Over any protest about
not being hungry or being on a diet, a mother usually insists that her child
eat something. I suppose that feeling is such a natural urge for her since
she's had the privilege of nourishing her infant at her breast. She is very
close to her child and continuing to provide nourishment is a sign of her
ceaseless love.
Likewise, as a sign
of His great love, Jesus has left us a special food and drink. For this Food
and Drink, we must always hunger. A diet from this nourishment is something we
should not do, for to the Table of the Lord, we are always invited. We are in
the same period of time, between Easter and Pentecost, as were the Apostles
during their time of confusion. I hope we never think that Jesus is gone and no
longer loves us. Like the Apostles, He has left us, too, with the Holy
Eucharist - the spiritual nourishment of His Body and Blood. The Eucharist is
the great Sign of Love which Jesus has for us, along with the Scriptures,
whereby we hear God's Word.
Peter declared that
it was only through the Holy Name of Jesus that one can be saved. To be saved
speaks not only of eternal salvation, but it also means "to be
healed." It describes restoration and being made whole again - healed,
forgiven, and given life - all by His infinite love. This is the Gift of Jesus
Christ, which spreads out to all of us, through His Resurrection!