Some people, e.g., baseball icon Joe Torre, discover their talents early in life. You may or not know that Joe Torre and I grew up in the same Brooklyn neighborhood. We played baseball in Marine Park as kids. I realized baseball may not be my talent when the coach approached the mound one day and said to me: “I better have someone relieve you.” I argued: “I struck this guy out last time.” “Yes,” said the coach, “but it’s the same inning and he’s at bat again.” I gradually realized that playing baseball may not be my talent.
Did anyone watch Simone Biles perform at the Olympics? She also discovered her talent in gymnastics early in life and strove mightily to develop this talent. As a result, she became the most medaled U.S. gymnast in Olympic history. It’s inspiring to enjoy her amazing feats as she propels herself through her routines. She has worked for years to hone her strengths, achieve goals and develop new and better moves.
My point is this: everyone has talents and it’s a challenge to discover and develop them so that we can realize our potential, always trying to balance our lives on the so-called three-legged stool of physical, mental and spiritual health.
Today’s word of God alludes to three moments in our salvation history:
the 13th century BC Hebrew exodus from Egypt;
the 1st century passage of Jesus from earthly life through death into eternal glory;
and today's Eucharist, with our own going out to serve.
The first reading from the Word of God takes us back to the exodus of the Hebrews from their oppressors. The freed Hebrews are in the wilderness, hungry and thirsty and complaining to God. Life with our captors, the Hebrews say, was better than this.
God, always faithful to his promises, provides food: quails (probably some low-flying migratory birds) and manna (likely a substance from a shrub). Many Hebrews recognized in these signs God’s incredible care for them.
The author may be asking us whether we recognize the signs of God’s care for us in our everyday lives.
Paul in his letter to the Christians at Ephesus speaks about us as new creatures who must live the virtues of the new self. God abides in us and we in God. Yes, God has transformed us into living temples and calls us through baptism to manifest God's presence in our everyday attitudes and behaviors.
The Gospel highlights one of the “I am” sayings of Jesus: “I am the bread of life.” Jesus tells us: I am the light of the world; the good shepherd; the vine; the resurrection; the way, the truth, the life; the door to heaven.
These seven “I am” phrases, alluding to Jesus's divinity, refer to the 3rd chapter in Book of Exodus, where Moses asks God who He is. God responds: “I am the One who causes to be everything that is.”
Yes, the God-man Jesus, the bread of life, became one of us to satisfy our spiritual hunger for God. The Gospel then reflects on God’s most splendid gift of wonder: the Eucharist.
Each of the three readings today is a departure, a going outward.
In our salvation history, the exodus is a prototype of our deliverance. Jews in the Seder service proclaim:
“It is our duty to thank, praise … and adore the God who did all of these miracles for our forebears and for ourselves. He has brought us forth … from darkness to a great light, and from subjection to redemption.”
A second critical moment in our history is when Jesus began his exodus from this earthly life through death into a new heavenly reality. Every Eucharist rekindles the expectation of our final deliverance: Jesus will come again in glory. We pray: “until He comes again.” And: “Thy kingdom come.”
A third critical moment is today's Eucharist. Jesus washed the feet of the disciples--an example of his many services. As I have done, Jesus says, so must you do. Jesus acts out a gesture which we are to imitate in our lives: serving others.
The bread we eat is meant to grow us into a vibrant faith community. St. Paul wrote: “Because the bread is one, we, though many, are one Body; for we all partake of the one bread.” The living Christ nourishes us as He does countless disciples around the globe.
Yes, the Eucharist challenges us to go outward to become, as best we can, agents of change for the good. Just as Jesus Christ was an agent of transformation in salvation history, God calls us to be his co-workers, agents of change building up the kingdom of God until Jesus Christ comes again.
Jesus calls us to do our best to transform hate into peace, despair into hope, injustice into fairness, indifference into compassion, sorrow into joy, self-centeredness into other-centeredness, and loneliness into community. And we begin this transformational task by doing all the good we can, to all the people can, in all the places we can, as long as ever we can. Amen.
