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Important Messages
18th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Working hard for what matters most
In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Jesus says: “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life.” In other words: In your daily life, work hard to obtain whatever will nourish your soul and sustain you past death into eternity.
Jesus says: “The work God wants you to do is to believe in the one he sent.” Why does he call this “work”?
To fully believe, we must work at getting rid of every doubt and distrust that interferes with our belief in Christ, our trust in his words (including what he inspired in the official teachings of the Church), and our willingness to conform to his way of life.
This work requires (1) identifying our vulnerabilities that make us doubt and distrust, (2) uncovering what we’re afraid will happen if we do trust, and (3) overcoming that fear by gaining a better understanding of the truth. Any fear that interferes with our holiness is always based on something untrue.
Jesus says: “The bread of God, which nourishes your soul, is that which comes down from heaven and gives life.” He’s referring to his presence in the Eucharist, the bread that he provides in every Mass. What do you need to do so that you can be nourished more fully by the Eucharist? Is there something that’s stopping you from receiving the Eucharist? Work hard to remedy that obstacle! It will make a difference to your eternal soul. If you’re sincere about uniting yourself to Christ, he will make possible whatever is needed to clear the way.
Because the Eucharist is Jesus, it can heal us, purify us, and help us become more like Christ himself. However, it takes conscious effort to fully embrace this opportunity. Why would we want to be lazy about that? The benefits of hard work in our faith life will endure for eternity.
NOTE: Pope John Paul II wrote an entire encyclical about this, entitled Ecclesia de Eucharistia (“The Church of the Eucharist”). In it, he tells us that we’re on a journey to heaven and that the presence of Christ in the Eucharist helps us stay on course.
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