[stephenkhoo]

24 July 2013, Wednesday, 16th Week, Ordinary Time
THE BREAD FOR AND OF THE MOMENT
SCRIPTURE READINGS: EX 16:1-5, 9-15; MT 13:1-9

Human beings are very unique creatures. We have the possibility of making the decision to be happy or to be miserable. It is within our control. This is because human beings are the only creatures that can live in the past, the present and the future. We always mourn about our past mistakes, or feel nostalgic about the good old times that we have had; and wish things would be the same again. And so when we think of our painful past, we cannot be happy. But not only do we think about our past, we also worry about our future. We worry about our health, our finances, our loved ones, especially our spouse and children. When we worry about the future, that also robs us of our peace and happiness. So, living in the past or in the future brings us misery.

This precisely was the problem of the Israelites in the first reading from the book of Exodus. They, too, were living in their past and fearful of their future. Like us, they were also complaining to God about the condition of their lives. They were nostalgic about the so-called ‘good old days’ they had when they were under the slavery of the Egyptians. At least, then they had meat and bread. But now, after being liberated from the Egyptians and journeying in the desert, they became restless and dissatisfied. Now they complain about their lack of luxurious food.

But they did not only live in the past, they were also living in the future. This is because God did in fact give them what they wanted. But God also wanted to test if they could live in the present. And so God told them that they would be given meat and bread. But they were specifically told not to hoard the bread. They were told only to collect what was sufficient for them for the day, except on Fridays, when they could collect a double portion for the Sabbath day when they could not work. But the people did not trust God. Some of them hoarded the food for the next day, and these all turned into worms.

What is the meaning of today’s reading? The truth is that what can really bring us happiness is the bread of the moment. The bread or the manna given by God from heaven for us to eat is nothing else but the bread of the moment. That is to say, we can find happiness in life only when we live from moment to moment, as intensely as we can. Living in the past or in the future will bring us only misery. The bread from heaven on the other hand, never causes us tension or anxiety; it is the bread of the world, the bread of the past and the future that cause us all to worry and therefore make us miserable in life. God will only give us the bread of today, not the bread of tomorrow. That is why in the gospel, Jesus asks us to pray only for our daily bread.

Indeed, in the gospel too, Jesus tells us that, unlike us, other created beings, especially animals and birds, live only in the present. When you observe the birds, for example, you will find that they have no worries. They live from moment to moment, day to day, without the least worry about tomorrow or what happened to them in the past. For this reason, they can live happily and in a carefree way. They do not know how to live in the past or in the future. We do not see animals regretting over their past mistakes or feeling nostalgic about their past glories. For this reason, animals bring only themselves wherever they go. They do not bring anything else, for they have no possessions. They live in faith and trust in divine providence. That is why they are also so happy and liberated. They do not live in fear or in tension.

Consequently, today’s gospel challenges us to put into practice what we have been taught. The truth is that although all of us are aware of the fact that we must live in the present in order to be happy, not many of us are living it this way. This shows that our faith in God is still not deep enough.

If we find ourselves still not living in the present but always in our past or in the future, then we probably belong to the seed that fell on the edge of the path. In other words, we listen to what Jesus says, we agree with Him, but the next minute, we forget all that He has said and we continue to live our life like everyone else, in fear and regret.

Perhaps, we might belong to the seed that fell on patches of rock. That is to say, we know that the moment is the only moment worth living. But we will practice it for a while. However, very soon, we too also begin to live in our past and the future. This, I believe, is where most of us would fall into in our spiritual life. We have good intentions but we have short memories and shallow convictions. Our convictions are at most of the mind, but not of the heart. For this reason, we do not practise fully what we believe in our minds.

Then again, some of us might be like the seed that fell on the briers. But like the seed among the thorns, we get choked up by our concerns in the world. We become so worldly like the rest, ambitious in making more and more money; buying more and more things. Consequently, our obsession with hoarding more possessions will take away our happiness, as we become too busy to enjoy the moment.

However, there are some of us, very few indeed, who belong to the seed that fell on rich soil and produced crops of a hundredfold. Yes, to the extent that we live in the moment, to that extent we will find happiness and reap a bumper harvest. This is only natural. The person who gives himself to the present fully will naturally accomplish all his undertakings well, since he gives himself wholeheartedly to what he is supposed to do. When we try to do two things at the same time, we can do neither properly. This contradicts of course what the world is promoting, multi-tasking!

When we are restrained by fears and anxieties, we will not be able to perform our work well because our mind is not totally engaged on the job at hand. Unless, we are free from fears and worries, we cannot give full concentration to whatever we are doing. Thus, by living in the present, in the moment, the by-product of living that way is a good harvest.

Yes, this is our choice today. We can continue to live in our past or in the future, like most people do. But anxieties and worries await us. However, if we learn to trust in the Lord, then we can let go and be only concerned about the present. We can liberate ourselves from clinging to our past and instead surrender ourselves to the future, trusting that God is the guarantee of our future and that He will see us through. Such a faith can be ours if we are well founded on the Word of God. In another sense, therefore, in today’s gospel, Jesus is asking us to trust in the Word of God, to build our lives on the promise of God’s Word, for that will give us the courage to let go and trust in His divine providence. When such a faith is ours, then happiness is ours as well, because we can then be like the animals and live our lives in total surrender to divine providence; but also unlike them, because we can make this decision freely, consciously and intelligently.