Homily 18th Sunday Ordinary Time

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time John 6:24-35

Signs, signs everywhere a sign, blocking out the scenery, breaking my mind, do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?  These lyrics were given to us in 1971 by the little known band called the 5 Electrical Band.  These lyrics surely remind us we are always looking for a sign.

What are some of your favorite signs? Perhaps you have fond memories of an old sign, like K & B Drug Store or McKenzies Baker.  Perhaps we look forward to seeing a sign that gives us some sort of joy.  Every time I travel to see my grandchildren in North Carolina there is a sign on I-85, in South Carolina that makes me smile and is there for all to see; a picture of Jesus in the Divine Mercy saying "Jesus I Trust in You".  Perhaps we have simply grown accustomed to signs that appeal to our immediate needs, to our sense of instant gratification.  Maybe we don't even see the signs anymore?

As people of faith, are we looking for a sign or do we even demand a sign? Are we looking for signs that address our deepest spiritual hopes or simply signs that satisfy our physical needs?

As we continue on our journey through the sixth chapter of John, we arrive at the scene where the crowd follows and finds Jesus not long after He fed them with the five loaves and two fish. And Jesus clearly calls them out, telling them that you have not followed me because of the signs, but because I gave you food. They simply wanted more food, more material things, more physical comforts. Jesus wants the crowds, and ultimately us too, to completely trust in Him, to believe in Him and to acknowledge that all our needs; physical and spiritual come from God, our heavenly father.

Jesus reminds the crowds of Moses and the manna that God sent to the Israelites that sustained them as they crossed the desert. And this bread, the manna, did indeed sustain them. And it was sent to them by God.

God now sustains us with the Bread from Heaven; Jesus’ body broken and blessed and fed to us. This is the Eucharist. And of this Bread Jesus declares: I am the Bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger! This is the first public pronouncement by Jesus of the Eucharist. He is not talking here of a sign or a mere symbol; No. He is talking of the living sacrifice and communion in His own body and blood, which sustains us and leads us to eternal life.

So what does this mean for us today? Jesus tells the crowd to believe and so He asks us today: do you believe? Do you believe in the real, true presence of His Body & Blood when we approach and receive the host and chalice? Do we believe that it is not what we eat but He who gave Himself to us that we receive? Do we believe that we should receive him worthily by availing ourselves of Reconciliation often? Do we believe by being attentive to His word; both when proclaimed at Mass and in time spent reading Scripture during the week? Do we believe by being attentive to our brothers and sisters in Christ? Do we believe by donating food to the food bank or helping a neighbor or comforting a friend in need? Do we believe? Even if we can answer yes this day, let’s not forget the words from the Gospel of St. Mark: Lord, I believe but help my unbelief. Yes, we may have doubts, but in faith, believe, believe!

Perhaps today we need to be attentive to other signs as well.  We still marvel at the signs that are almost always evident when something bad happens.  Individually and collectively, we may see signs before we hear of another shooting or murder.  May times we just shrug.  My goodness this past week we heard the story of the shooting of a Lion in Africa named Cecil.  Despicable yes.  But in the same week we hear story after story about Planned Parenthood, the #1 provider of abortion in this nation, and now selling baby body parts for profit?  And for the most part the world yawned.  Signs; we need to see and heed the signs of the times.  Jesus is asking us, do we see in these horrific events, the signs of a world that turns away from him?  We must continue to point to Jesus as the sign, and the source, of our everything. 


Yes, signs, signs, everywhere signs block up my scenery and blow my mind. But the sign that we need is our belief; our belief in Him and in His presence in the Eucharist.
May Jesus be the only sign we need and depend upon!