“Thick, Thicker, ME” By Sam Miller

“Thick, Thicker, ME” By Sam Miller

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

[T]he angel of the LORD came back a second time, touched him, and ordered, "Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!"  He got up, ate, and drank; then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb. 1 Kings 19: 7-9

“All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice.  And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ…So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.” Ephesians 4: 31-5:2

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day.  It is written in the prophets:  They shall all be taught by God.  Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to Me.   Not that anyone has seen the Father except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.  Amen, amen, I say to you…whoever believes has eternal life.  I am the bread of life. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." John 6: 44-48, 51

Piety

The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him         Psalm 34:8-9

Study

I have noticed that the Gospel readings for every Sunday in August are from the 6^th Chapter of the holy Gospel according to John, “The Bread of Life Discourse”!!  In every one of them, Jesus is exhorting His listeners to hear with ears and hearts, to internalize through mind to heart, and come to believe in Him.  Jesus IS the bread of God which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world, not to do His own will but the will of the One who sent Him.

Is Jesus trying to get someone’s attention and, could it be mine?!  Could I have been in the crowd that was fed and still asked for a sign so that I may believe?  Could I have been among the Jews who were murmuring about Jesus’ statement of being the bread that came down from heaven?  In that case, I’m way overdue for a Jethro Gibbs (TV series, “NCIS”) head slap!

I love how today’s readings have come together for me!!  God sent food and an angel, twice, to Elijah for strength for His mission.  I know how to be an imitator of God and live in love for I am “taught by God” as a child of God!!  I will eat the bread come down from heaven, Jesus’ flesh for the life of the world and live forever, Amen!

Action

Lord, grant that by Your direction, I may put into practice all I have been taught about being an imitator of God!!!  Amen!!!