We need to fix our eyes on the central mystery of our faith – the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. At this time, every question, problem, concern, and confusion, can only find meaning in the person of Jesus Christ – let us not lose our way to Him. Jesus reminds us “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst.”

Except for the Resurrection, the multiplication of loaves is the only miracle told in all four Gospels (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:31-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:5-15). It is possible that we are being reminded not only of Jesus’ ability to perform such great miracles but that the breaking of bread and the feeding of the multitude for future generations must be modelled on the generosity of God, when the followers of Jesus must seek to break open their hearts with generosity and love towards others.

The pandemic with all its limitations and challenges provides us also the opportunity to be “Christians” – in the footsteps of Jesus. It is said that ‘moments of crisis define who we truly are and what we truly believe’. We have the time, here and now, to define what we profess with our lips and who we are as disciples of Jesus. Love of God and for neighbour is most evident not when expressions of love are easy, but when they are difficult.

Being a disciple of Jesus and more importantly, as evangelisers, we are called to share not only words, ideas, or doctrines, but an experience, our experience of God and of Jesus. There are many people around us who are in need of support in one way or another. It could be food or emotional support and perhaps not all of us are able to do this. But what we can do at a time when God seems either silent or distant? As we are all weathering this storm together, we have the opportunity to be a beacon of hope to those around us.

If we are one of those who is consistently looking for God in life-transforming or awe-inspiring things, then like the people who were gathered in the synagogue, we will miss the opportunity of seeing God. At this time, our “ordinary” is the situation of the pandemic and there are so many opportunities to meet God through the vulnerable, weak, and needy all around us. Just look around us and we will see them – people needing encouragement or some form of upliftment, a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on, assistance to put food on the table or bills to pay, on the verge of a breakdown or raising the white flag. These are opportunities to meet God and also to bring Christ to others even without using His name.

The healing of the daughter of Jairus and the woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years is going to be pivoted on the faith of these people who came to Jesus. To the woman, Jesus says, “your faith has restored you to health”, and to Jairus, “Do not be afraid; only have faith”. “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deut 31:6).

At a time like this, it is not easy to let go of our expectations of God and of how we want our lives to move on. It’s much easier to point fingers, cast blame, and even question God Himself. However, the Gospel today gives us that light at the end of the tunnel that we are waiting for. Before falling asleep on the boat, Jesus told His disciples, “Let us cross over to the other side” (Mark 4:35).  He “promised” that they would make it across.

The new covenant in the Eucharist that we celebrate, irrespective of whether online or onsite, is being renewed as Jesus’ sign of His affection for each one of us – the gift of Himself on the cross is still alive. At this moment when humanity is fragile confronted by this pandemic, access to the sacraments may be hindered but the access to Christ is never deprived to all to seek Him.

Even though the Trinity is a concept that is hard to explain even to the believing mind, the Trinity is at the very heart of our faith and prayer. Every prayer begins and ends with calling on the Most Holy Trinity – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is probably the very first thing that Christian parents teach their children, that is, to make the sign of the cross invoking the Blessed Trinity - the Undived Unity that binds us all. 

The promise of the Holy Spirit is not merely for the supernatural gifts that the Spirit brings (sometimes we overplay this aspect of the Advocate) but the promise of the Spirit to us is for witnessing – a demand that our faith puts on us. If we do claim to have real faith, then real faith must be shared! We need to create a culture of witness in our lives, something that many of us shy away from.