Be Renewed in the Spirit

Dear Friend,

A blessing of my recent time on vacation was experiencing “down time” and “in between time” with others. What I mean is that discovering new places was fantastic – the beauty of the great outdoors, rushing rivers, and the dramatic coastline of the Pacific Northwest. But the conversations afterwards were so satisfying too - in the evenings, setting up tents, debriefing after a hike, and then in the morning – after quiet time – talking over coffee.  

In John’s Gospel this week, I can see this kind of activity – or non-activity. We’re seeing what comes after the miraculous adventure of “the feeding of the five thousand”. It’s the conversation that continues after the peak experience, as though John’s characters are saying Wait a minute, what just happened here? And it’s Jesus pointedly prompting them, provoking them, and challenging them. Look at what just happened to you, will it make a difference in your life? This is a conversation about a meal which is as important as the meal itself!  

The back and forth exchange with Jesus which John gives us in his Gospel is a demonstration of what St. Paul offers in the text we hear this week from Ephesians: namely, that we “should put away the old self of [our] former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of [our] minds. To change how we see things is not an easy task! Every time Jesus feeds us at Eucharist, we encounter a presence that calls us to see things differently – how we interact with others, how we see ourselves and God, how we relate to the earth itself. Prayer, conversation, and walking together are fundamentals in Franciscan spirituality. It’s in those times – if we’re open – Jesus can get through to us!

Gratefully,

Father Dan