In today’s Gospel, we read that Jesus raised his eyes and saw a large crowd coming to him (cf. John 6: 1-15). This image caught my eyes. As I have reflected on it, I accepted that Jesus was already longing to be with the crowd. By raising his eyes, Jesus was ready to welcome and to receive them. His heart was with them. I can’t help but imagine a picture of a parent who is waiting for children coming over the weekend for a visit, a grandparent who is looking forward to seeing their grandchildren, or friends who cannot wait to get together to socialize. This has been happening during the lockdown or isolation due to the pandemic.
As we continue reading today’s Gospel, a large crowd was coming to Jesus in order to be fed. They were to be fed from the five barley loaves and two fish that belonged to a boy. While Andrew, one of his disciples, wondered: “but what good are these for so many,” Jesus simply responded: “Have the people recline.” This is telling me that not only was Jesus longing to be with the crowd, but he was also ready to feed them. As we read further, it is fitting that Jesus fed them both the ordinary food and the food that endures for eternal life, the food that gives life to the world. Jesus eventually claimed: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” (John 6: 35).
We are looking forward to seeing and serving you. How blessed we are, when we are able to gather together with Jesus who is truly present in the Eucharist. Preparations for children, students, youth, and other groups are underway for the coming fall. We dream and hope that we are coming to be nourished, so that our faith in the Lord Jesus is strengthened and our love for one another is multiplied. Fr. Thuc