01/08/2022

The prophet of peace can only be known as truly from God when his words are proven by events. It's never happened yet. Jesus words of strife and conflict are proven to be true each day that I live. St Francis achieved nothing lasting by his example of poverty and love. The Crusades and other wars continued and within families there are still quarrels and dissensions. The nearest we get to political peace is when all antagonists are equally capable of destroying the whole world. I will say nothing about the state of the Church founded and bequeathed to us by Jesus.

Today's Gospel is Jesus caring for the hunger of his followers. There was a time when Father Son and Holy Spirit in the flesh of Jesus was present in the created time of our humanity and world. Jesus, true man and true God spoke words of absolute truth and acted in perfection. His absolute understanding and knowledge of all Being past, present and future told him that we humans would find plenty to ponder and argue about in his life and deeds. He knew that the perfect human freedom created in mankind would continue to result in strife and wars even though his body was here to bring about the perfect peace and that his incarnation was to be man's saving grace.

Perfect peace in which each individual is aware of his own being and equally aware and considerate of his neighbour is only possible when we can curb ourselves to be without threat or harm to each other. This can only be achieved when we are in the reality of  eternity that is "face-to-face"with the Glory that is God. We have to renounce all of created being that blocks our path to Father, Son and Holy Spirit and ultimately not cling on to this life but to hope for the Peace of heaven with all our hearts.

Dear Lord, I am still much too clingy to myself. Let me abandon all selfishness. Let me not seek esteem or respect of man and let the words above become not mine but a truth that rules my remaining life in your presence. May Mary the mother of God who requested the first miracle of feeding at Canae support all the worldly efforts to reduce the suffering of the sick and hungry and remind those doing it that it is a service to God who is present in all suffering humanity.