Everybody's Got a Hungry Heart!

I get to hear a lot of life stories from a lot of people. I enjoy my job. It is quite a privilege to have someone to share their life with me. Most of the time people tell me about their lives because they need a little help figuring things out, and they want to hear my perspective or advice (they think).

I have a couple of responses to this. First of all, usually the situation that folks come to talk to me about is only the tip of the iceberg of something else going on with them that needs to be looked at. I'm not just talking about psycho-social stuff here. When someone engages me in talking about their life, we find out together that there is usually a deeper hunger that needs to be fed than the one that they think they need to talk about. Invariably a relationship that has gone sour with a spouse, a parent, a child, or someone else who is significant, leads to us looking into our soul at a relationship with God which needs some attention.

Secondly, it usually turns out that my role is minimal in these conversations. I am a mediator at the very best, but usually I'm even more passive than that. Numerous people have come back to me after spiritual counselling times with me to thank me for my help. When they describe the help that I was to them, I normally know that I didn't say anything like what they give me credit for, or I know that what I said to them was the exact opposite than what they received while we were together.

My point is that God knows our real hungers and needs. God is also able to feed us where we need it, rather than where we think we want it.

These gospel reading over the past few weeks have all been about Jesus as the Bread of Life. Jesus is talking to the disciples, the Jewish leaders, and the crowd about the food they really need, not just about fish sandwiches (which they think they're looking for). Some want fish sandwiches still, and they can't accept the offer that Jesus is giving them. He is offering them Himself as their food for eternal life with God. They're not buying the offer. They are either short-sighted, close-minded, or too dense to comprehend what Jesus' offer is.

This Gospel makes me look at my heart and soul to see how open I am to Jesus' invitation and challenge to a deeper, more faithfilled, and eternal life. What's keeping me from accepting Jesus' invitation to Full Communion with Him and His Father?

peace,
Fr. Chuck

PS Please feel to respond add your own two cents onto anything that I've written that touches you. I enjoy reading your comments.