“WALK DAILY WITH JESUS”, 17/04/26, (Friday, 2nd week of Easter in Year A)

COLLECT: “O GOD, HOPE AND LIGHT OF THE SINCERE, WE HUMBLY ENTREAT YOU TO DISPOSE OUR HEARTS TO OFFER YOU WORTHY PRAYER AND EVER TO EXTOL YOU BY DUTIFUL PROCLAMATION OF YOUR PRAISE. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.

Acts 5:34-42; Ps 27:1,4,13-14 and Jn 6:1-15.

The passage from the Acts of the Apostles is about the advice Gamaliel (a member of the Sanhedrin, a Pharisee and a respectable doctor of the Law), gave to the Sanhedrin to be careful in their dealings with the apostles. They accepted his advice and released the apostles after flogging them and warning them strictly not to preach about Jesus Christ anymore. But the apostles left the presence of the Sanhedrin very glad that they had the honour to suffer humiliation for the sake of Jesus. The passage from John is about the crowd that flocked to Jesus to hear him. He fed them with five barley loaves and two fish from a small boy among the crowd.

Both readings we reflect on today so to speak, confirm Psalm 84:10 “Better one day in your courts than a thousand at my own devices, to stand on the threshold of God’s house than to live in the tents of the wicked”. For the apostles, it was better and honourable to be in the presence of the Lord even if they must suffer persecution and humiliation than to be somewhere without the Lord. Likewise, the crowd that flocked to hear Jesus, to be with Him for some time, was better than being anywhere (probably without any leader or shepherd).

Indeed, it is good to be with the Lord from time to time. The gains and benefits are enormous. Through the Word of the Lord, one gets a sense of direction and one is equally spiritually fed not only by the Lord through his Word, but also through the Sacraments. The crowd that came to Jesus experienced these things. They heard Jesus speak to them and they were also fed through the miracle of five barley loaves and two fish.

The episode of the miracle of the loaves is a prefiguration of the Eucharist, the Sacrament of God’s love for us. The Lord generously fed the hungry souls of his people with his word and five barley loaves and two fish. He continues to feed both our hungry souls and bodies with his word and his body and blood in the Eucharist.

There are other experiences and lessons we can draw from the miracle of loaves and fish, which is a miracle of love and sharing. The small boy was ready to share his five loaves and two fish with the crowd. Where people are ready to share the little that each has, there will always certainly be plenty at the end for everyone. Sharing also promotes love and vice versa. This miracle in a sense resulted in a multiplicity of joy and happiness among the crowd and it eventually eliminated sorrow and frustration from the people. It satisfies as well as quenches their physical, spiritual, psychological, emotional and mental hunger and thirst.

Being in the presence of the Lord for a while in the Eucharist continues to do these for us. The Eucharist promotes both personal and communal growth. Finally, the Eucharist sends us on mission, to bring and share what we have experienced in the presence of the Lord with others. Think about the fragments that were gathered into twelve wicker baskets.

We pray that nothing in this world may ever take us away from the Lord’s presence or separate us from the love of God. In our humiliations, frustrations, disappointments, despair, pain and suffering, and of course in our joys and happiness, if we are in the presence of the Lord he will always take control of things. Stay blessed and have a happy weekend.

WE MEDITATE TODAY, FRIDAY, ON THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN, THE SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR, THE CROWNING WITH THORNS, THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS AND THE CRUCIFIXION’ (WE PRAY FOR SORROW FOR SIN, PURITY, COURAGE, PATIENCE, AND PERSEVERANCE) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and the hour of our death, Amen”.

PRAYER: “KEEP SAFE, O LORD, WE PRAY, THOSE WHOM YOU HAVE SAVED BY YOUR KINDNESS, THAT, REDEEMED BY THE PASSION OF YOUR SON, THEY MAY REJOICE IN HIS RESURRECTION. AMEN”.

Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863.