Deacon Tom Writes,
“Will Work for Food”
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
We are all too familiar with someone holding a sign that says, “WILL WORK FOR FOOD”. Perhaps some are scam artists but others are sincere and will do whatever they can to earn some money to buy food for the day. When you are hungry enough, you get desperate. Today in our first reading, the Israelites are desperate. They complain to Moses because they didn’t have enough to eat and longed to be back in Egypt where they had enough food. Imagine trading your freedom for a slice of bread!
God hears the cries of his people, which is a major theme of the Old Testament, and gives them their “daily portion” of bread from heaven in the form of manna to sustain them. It’s interesting to see that they received only a daily portion and that God tested them to see if they followed his instruction. You see, the manna only lasted one day. If you gathered up more than your daily portion, “it became wormy and rotten”. (Ex 16:20)
This story from Exodus is a prelude to the Eucharistic banquet Jesus would institute at the Last Supper and that we have been called to share today. The bread from heaven given to the Jews in the desert was meant to nourish them for that day and that day only. They were not allowed to store it up for the future. No, they needed to experience the mystery of God’s presence and caring for them each and every day. And…. so do we!
This idea that we need a daily encounter with the divine is “food” for thought. Unfortunately, most of us are not able to get to Mass on a daily basis to receive Holy Communion. In that case, we can always turn to Sacred Scripture for our daily bread. For that too is the source of the spiritual nourishment we need to cope with the challenges and difficulties we face in this life. In Scripture we can also find real food, food that will last and give us the strength and courage to live each day as it comes. For Christ’s presence in our lives is all that we hunger for, all that we need to fulfill every desire and longing of our hearts.
I have found Fr. Mike Schmitz, "Bible in a Year" Podcast an excellent vehicle for reading the entire Bible. You can find it on Apple or Spotify and perhaps other media. Not only will you read the Bible in a year, you will also get some fine commentary on the readings from Fr. Mike. I hope you will look into this for it is a wonderful way to up our game when it comes to knowledge of Scripture.
Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom
Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three deacons engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those thinking of coming into or walking away from the Church.
OTHER RESOURCE
Recommended Reading: Explore the treasures of Catholic Social Teachings in this great word - Foundations of Catholic Social Teaching: Living as a Disciple of Christ. “No one lives alone. No one sins alone. No one is saved alone,” wrote Pope Benedict XVI, whose words resonate with today’s teens (all the young at heart ) particularly because the prevalence of social media allows them to better see how their lives are interwoven with those around them.
Recommended YouTube Video: What is the Catholic Social Teaching? You've heard it mentioned - but what is it? Here we introduce the tradition of thought called "Catholic social teaching", starting from its biblical foundations and its seven so-called "pillars," then reviewing some historical milestones since its beginnings in 1891 with the promulgation of Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum Novarum. We conclude by considering a series of brief passages from Msgr. Martin Schlage's edited volume, The Handbook of Catholic Social Teaching.
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