💖 HOMILY - APRIL 13 💖

First Reading - Acts 6:1-7

Gospel - John 6:16-21

We may have heard the saying: "Work is worship." This belief can sometimes overshadow the spiritual dimension of our lives. Therefore, today's readings remind us that we need to make a clear distinction between the spiritual concerns and temporal concerns of our lives. However, the spiritual dimension should take precedence in our lives without neglecting the other.

The first reading tells us about an important decision of the apostles to choose seven deacons to address the issue of partial distribution of food to the Greek widows. The expectation of the Hellenists (Greek Christians) was that the apostles would directly be involved in the work of food distribution to avoid partiality. However, the apostles clarified that their preference would be prayer and preaching. Therefore, they preferred not to prioritize material concerns over their spiritual duties. Nonetheless, they did not overlook the matter and assigned the deacons to oversee the distribution of food. The apostles' choice for their spiritual concerns prevailed over temporal affairs.

The gospel passage presents historical events of the troublesome times of early Christians due to persecutions and life-threatening situations. The journey of the apostles on the boat symbolically depicts the journey of the Christians who faced difficult times caused by persecutions, symbolized by the storms striking the boat. To exacerbate the situation, there seemed to be an absence of Jesus. However, the terrifying scene was further intensified for the apostles by the sudden appearance of a man walking on the lake like a ghost. Jesus reassured his terrified disciples about his identity as "It's I" or "I Am" (the name revealed to Moses by God - Exodus 3:14), who controls everything, hence they need not fear anything. This assurance was also for the early Christians undergoing persecutions, to trust in Jesus that he is God and is journeying with them, and everything would come to pass in him.

Dear friends, there are many times when our priorities are wrongly set, resulting in suffering or regret later. The apostles, in the first reading, set an example for us that our spiritual concerns should always remain our life priorities: prayer, spiritual exercises, and evangelization works. When we prioritize material gains or temporal things over our spiritual concerns, we may feel the absence of Jesus and fail to recognize him in our lives, like the apostles, because that will make us spiritually weak. Prioritizing spiritual concerns will always help us, even through the toughest times of our lives, to hear a voice from Jesus - "It is I. Do not be afraid." This voice is filled with assurance of hope and confidence that God is with us.

The gospel passage also reminds us that there is no situation too tough with Jesus, but with him, the toughest will always become easy for us. The disciples were terrified by the storm and the sight of the ghost-like man. Despite this, they allowed Jesus into the boat, and immediately they reached their destination. We need to welcome Jesus into our lives, and we can conquer all tough situations, for with God, everything is possible.

May we be able to welcome Jesus into our lives.