Hungering for the Spiritual

HOMILY: Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

John 6:24-35

1 August 2021 

Fr. Ricky C. Montanez, AA

So, many triumphant photos of our national pride Hidilyn Diaz have been circulating online. She is depicted as someone victorious holding the Olympic gold medal that has remained elusive to us Filipinos for the longest time. It took a woman to finally end the Philippines’ century-long drought for Olympic Gold. Hidilyn also achieved a new Olympic record in the women’s 55-kilogram division by lifting 127 kilograms in her final attempt. 

In all of the photos I have seen of Hidilyn, there is one particular photo that I consider the best one. It’s a simple picture of her open palms showing her gold medal but if you look closely you see countless blisters and calluses. It’s a photo that reveals evidence of the painful sacrifices she had to make such as putting in long hours of practice, and suffering through countless cuts, bruises and muscle pains. It is a reality check for those of us who only want the glory without undergoing the pain of the process.  The hands that brought home the gold are the same hands that bore so much pain. 

She now can look forward to enjoying the fruits of her hard work and sacrifice.  She will be receiving over P50 million in cash, a lifetime of free flights, houses and lots, a condominium and many other bountiful gifts from people who rewarded the honour she brought to the nation. Who wouldn’t want such a hefty prize or a taste of her popularity? But how many are willing to put themselves through such a struggle for the promise of glory?

In today’s gospel passage from John, Jesus tells the people that they are looking for Him for a very superficial reason — “they ate the loaves and were filled.” They clearly did not see any other significance to the multiplication of the loaves beyond that it was an easy way to get more bread to fill their bellies. Similarly, the Israelites would rather endure slavery and the “fleshpots” of Egypt where they had an abundance of food rather than secure their freedom and claim the Promised Land. “Would that we had died at the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread! But you had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine!” (Exodus 16:3)

Although being a follower of Christ promises that we become co-heirs to the eternal inheritance, to be a Christian is never easy. We have to take the same path that Jesus took.  To follow Jesus, we must expect… even welcome the struggles and strains of following God. We cannot avoid nor escape our share in the sufferings of Christ in order to share in His glory.   

There are some of us who seize every moment that gives us pleasure.  But we would immediately shun a situation or experience that causes us discomfort or suffering and move on to pursue the next thrill or fun thing. It is no surprise that many people especially the young develop a low tolerance for criticisms causing them to easily fall into depression. Some as noted even have resorted to harming themselves when reprimanded by either their parents, teachers or any authority. Life will never be perfect. Life is beautiful but it can be harsh. We cannot give up easily and say no to life because there are bumps along the way. This is definitely not the Christian response. We have to learn to trust the process.There are no detours.  We cannot have shortcuts. Impatient generation. Instant gratification. 

Anyone who has worked hard for something, realises the value of the goal, and deeply treasures the achievement. Look at our athletes competing now in the Olympics. They can attest that victory is sweetest after enduring all pain that their training entailed. The artists among us don’t simply throw things together, do we? We work hard to design our piece and use choice materials, carefully constructing our piece to bring to life our vision.  I have read somewhere that “One of the greatest causes of failure in life is the inability to make sacrifices.” 

Jesus says: “Work for food that lasts for eternal life.” (John 6:27) Jesus invites us to ask ourselves: Have we ever caught ourselves trying to fill a spiritual emptiness with material things? We recall the words of the prophet Isaiah, “Why spend money on what does not satisfy? Why spend your wages and still be hungry? Listen to me and do what I say, and you will enjoy the best food of all.” (Isaiah 55:2) Similarly, St. Augustine famously said: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You, O Lord.”   

May we heed what St. Paul tells the Ephesians: “You should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.” (Ephesians 4:22-24) May the Lord Jesus strengthen us with His grace to resist the superficial consolations of worldly ways. May we instead hunger deeply for the spiritual; for those that is the Lord’s and what we need to be with Him.

Let me close with the words of Hidilyn Diaz herself… “Jesus is the most priceless reward that I gained in this entire experience. Without Him, I won’t be able to face life with a smile again. He is the reason why I am a different person now — optimistic in life, unafraid to give, unafraid to love. He lifted the weight off my chest, regardless of how heavy it was. With Jesus, I am assured that I can carry whatever life throws at me. He’s the Weightlifter who won’t ever bring me down.”