Every day we eat and drink. Our life depends on it. Our food comes out of the dust by some inexplicable miracle of the order of creation. Equally amazing is our use of the bathroom; I'll just say it like the French do: the toilet. Everything goes down the toilet.
It's life and death. Children will ask you: "Why do we have to eat every day? Why do we have to go to the bathroom so much?" Our food comes out of the ground, without it we die, it all goes down the toilet, and in the end we die, returning to dust.
Yet we never question the power in our food. We have faith in it. We never worry that it won't keep us alive. "Yes, if I eat these good apples, and buy these organic carrots, and have a nice bowl of yummy lobster bisque with a loaf of warm bread and a glass of red wine, I'll be feeling better in no time." And it's true.
When the priest says the words of consecration, do we have faith? Jesus said "I am the bread of life............I am the living bread which came down from heaven...........For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. (From John 6)
If we can put such faith in things that turn to dust, can we not put more faith in Him who made the dust? Can we not believe The Mystery of Faith with great joy?! We can see it all around us. We do have faith. We just need to accept it with joy where it matters most.
It's life and death. Children will ask you: "Why do we have to eat every day? Why do we have to go to the bathroom so much?" Our food comes out of the ground, without it we die, it all goes down the toilet, and in the end we die, returning to dust.
Yet we never question the power in our food. We have faith in it. We never worry that it won't keep us alive. "Yes, if I eat these good apples, and buy these organic carrots, and have a nice bowl of yummy lobster bisque with a loaf of warm bread and a glass of red wine, I'll be feeling better in no time." And it's true.
When the priest says the words of consecration, do we have faith? Jesus said "I am the bread of life............I am the living bread which came down from heaven...........For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. (From John 6)
If we can put such faith in things that turn to dust, can we not put more faith in Him who made the dust? Can we not believe The Mystery of Faith with great joy?! We can see it all around us. We do have faith. We just need to accept it with joy where it matters most.
No comments:
Post a Comment