“THE LORD GAVE THEM BREAD FROM HEAVEN” (Ps 78:24)

⏰Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time 1 (26 July 2017 – Memorial of Ss Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

????Exod 16:1-5, 9-15; Ps 78:18-19, 23-24, 25-26, 27-28 (R.v.24b); Matt 13:1-19

Have you lived or stayed with someone who is always complaining, almost about everything? Such persons can be so irritating and unfortunately, at the situations they complain about, they would become the worst of all. If you have encountered such people, it will be easier for you to understand how God ought to feel at the complaints of the Israelites.

Just imagine! On Monday, we read of how they were confronted by two hopeless situations – being placed between the Red Sea and the fuming Egyptians. They began to complain against God and Moses but God came to their rescue as we could see in Exodus 14 & 15. I think that should have been enough to build their trust in God, but no! With hunger in their midst, they began to complain again.

At that point, I would have been very angry if I were God. But thank God that God is not man. He does the unimaginable and provided bread for them to eat. They began to complain again for lack of meat, and God provided meat for them. Who can beat God in mercy and provision?

In the Gospel, we even see that he is always moving around to meet us at the very places we are so that he can provide our basic needs. That is what Jesus did by leaving the house to go to where the people are to give them spiritual food even while hustle for material food.

We need both the material and spiritual food to survive and be successful in life. The parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Ss. Joachim and Anne understood that very well and so fed her with them. That enabled her with the strength she needed to cooperate with the plans of God for our salvation.

Is it not the case that many parents today are only interested in providing the material needs of their children without bothering to provide for their spiritual needs? The family is under serious attack from the devil and we must rise up to defend it.

May God help us. Amen.

Have a blessed and fruitful day ahead. It is well with you.