18th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)
Sunday 4 August 2024 Jn 6:24-35
“Then they said to Jesus, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent”” .
(Jn 6:28-29)
This question that the crowd of Jews asks Jesus in Capernaum, and His response to them, is of the highest relevance. ‘Believe’, the verb used by Jesus, mean ‘to have trust’ in the original Greek. It’s not about believing in something that resides above the clouds, but to have trust in a presence that acts in our life, a presence is providential. We don’t need to do who knows how many things in order to be saved. The only thing we need to do is to concentrate on welcoming and accepting what God has done for us. Salvation doesn’t belong to us: it is a gift, freely given! As the prophet Isaiah also says: “O everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Is 55:1). This is the work that has done! So, let us enter into a trusting relationship with His son Jesus, who only asks us to open our hearts, to let Him enter and live in us. If we don’t take steps of trust, putting into practice what the Master asks of us, we won’t experience just how good His Will is for us. For example, Peter had the courage in faith to take the first steps, walking on the water. It’s true, after, that his trust became diminished. However, he, thus, learned a great truth: the Master is always there, ready to stretch out His hand to come to our help and rescue, lifting us back up. Fr. Giuseppe
