Yes, I’m Hungry

Yesterday at work I was prompted to join one of my memory care sweethearts who has replaced all talking with non-stop walking. Jeannie literally walks laps around the hallway all day. She looks like she was a runner before and is always decked out in fun running outfits with appropriate shoes for the amount of walking she does. I’ve always wanted to put a Fitbit on her to see exactly how many steps she walks in a day. She’s one of the ones that throws her hands up in the air when she sees me as if we haven’t seen each other in years followed by a real hug, the kind that doesn’t end quickly, and the kind that wraps you up tightly. Since I’m an activities coordinator and this was an activity, I decided to follow the prompting and simply walk with Jeannie. We walked in silence for a good half hour, when she finally looked me in the eye and said, “I’m glad you’re here.” A coherent sentence from Jeannie is like a mystical experience and I knew to just keep walking. After a while I put my arm around her shoulder and she put her arm around me and we walked and walked and walked. Walking in silence reminded me of my Camino and the deep spirituality that comes from simply moving forward quietly. I pictured Jesus walking right there with us and my thought was that he walks with us until we talk and he holds us until we hold him back. 

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” Hunger and thirst are such basic human needs and Jesus wants to permeate us completely from the very basic to the most complicated parts of us. Hunger and thirst are two physical realities that move us to action (have you ever gone to the grocery store hungry?). Spiritual hunger and thirst are two realities that also move us to action and we will seek to satisfy those desires with a “grocery store” full of options, but there is only ONE that truly satisfies and that is Jesus. He tells us, “I will not reject anyone who comes to me.” He’s going to walk alongside us until we notice, he’s going to be with us until we know it, he’s going to offer us life until we accept it, he’s going to pursue us until we stop running away, and he’s going to throw his hands up in the air every time we see him followed by a real hug. 

I don’t know exactly how long Jeannie and I walked, but I finally asked her if she was hungry for dinner (getting her to even sit for meals has been a challenge as of late), to which she replied with a simple, “Yes.” I escorted her into the dining room and all was well. Jesus walks with us until we are ready to say, “Yes, I’m hungry," and then he feeds us. It is well with my soul. 

Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 275

Reading 1 ACTS 8:1B-8

There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem,
and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles.
Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church;
entering house after house and dragging out men and women,
he handed them over for imprisonment.

Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.

Responsorial Psalm 66:1-3A, 4-5, 6-7A

R.    (1)  Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!”
R.    Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
“Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!”
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.
R.    Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R.    Alleluia.
He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.
R.    Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia JN 6:40

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Everyone who believes in the Son has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel JN 6:35-40

Jesus said to the crowds,
“I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
But I told you that although you have seen me,
you do not believe.
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day.”