Exodus 16:2-4,12-15 / Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 / John 6:24-35
The month of August can be called the month of flags. And it is not just any flag but the flag of our country.
And we would have noticed as we come to church today, the flags fluttering in the wind at the entrance. Yes not just one flag but a few flags.
And as we celebrate our country’s 50th year of independence in a week’s time, putting up the flag is not just being patriotic; it is the most profound sign of who we are and what we are as Singaporeans.
And the flag is not just a piece of cloth with some design on it. It is a national symbol and it has to be treated with respect – it is not to touch the ground and flags that are discoloured or worn out are to be returned to the Community Centers for proper disposal.
So the flag is the symbol of our nation. The elements of the flag denote a young nation on the ascendant, universal brotherhood and equality, pervading and everlasting purity and virtue, and national ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.
So putting up the flag is a sign that we are proud to be Singaporeans and that we are the symbols of the ideals of our nation.
But if we are not the symbols of our nation’s ideals, then the flag is just a piece of cloth with some designs but with no real meaning.
In today’s gospel passage, Jesus mentioned something about signs.
He told the people that they were not looking for Him because they have seen the signs but because they had all the bread they wanted to eat.
And He continued by telling them not to work for food that cannot last but to work for food that endures to eternal life.
And the people asked Him what must they do if they were to do the works that God wants.
And Jesus gave this reply – to work for God means that they must believe in the One He has sent.
And then they asked – what sign will He give to show them that they should believe in Him.
And it is here that Jesus brought them back to the purpose of why they were looking for Him.
Earlier they had eaten the bread to their hearts’ content. But it seems that they did not understand the sign that Jesus was showing them in the bread.
The bread was the sign of God’s love for them. Jesus is the true bread that came down from heaven, the true bread that gives life to the world and fill empty and hungry hearts.
But for the people they were just interested in filling their empty and hungry stomachs, but their hearts are still empty and hungry because they were not filled with the bread of life and truth.
As St. Paul would urge the Ephesians in the 2nd reading, not to go on living the aimless kind of life that is corrupted by illusory desires.
To see the sign that Jesus is giving is to undergo a spiritual revolution so that they can put on the new self that is created in God’s way, i.e. the goodness and holiness of truth.
And so it is with us. Just what are we working for and what are the directions and the goals of our life?
Are we happier now that we were before? Are we happy with our job, with our marriage, with our family?
Are we happier now that we are older? Or do we think that we were happier when we were younger?
Are we like the Israelites in the 1st reading who think that they would be happier to be under slavery in Egypt than to have freedom in the desert?
But that is certainly an illusory desire which thinks that happiness and contentment is found everywhere else but not in the here and now.
No point going even to the moon and the stars to search for happiness, because as long as we are not happy on earth, even if we go to heaven, we might think it is hell.
The purpose of receiving Jesus the bread of life, is to open our eyes to life, and to see where are the areas of our lives that we can grow in happiness and love.
God made all things good, and He made man the best, because man is made in the image and likeness of God.
And God uses His beautiful creation to remind us of the beauty of our lives, and how to be happy.
The following are some images of creation, symbols of happiness, so that we can see for ourselves, what we need to be, in order to be happy.
Be like the sun. Arise early, and do not go to bed late.
Be like the moon. Shine in the darkness, but submit to the greater light.
Be like the stars that decorate the dark sky and make it beautiful.
Be like the birds. Eat, sing, drink, and fly free.
Be like the flowers. Loving the sun, but faithful to the roots.
Be like the faithful dog, but faithful only to the Lord.
Be like the fruit. Beautiful on the outside, and healthy on the inside.
Be like the day, which arrives and leaves without boasting.
Be like the well, giving water to the thirsty.
Be like the firefly, although small, it casts its own light.
Be like the water, good and transparent
Be like the river, always moving towards a greater goal.
Be like the flag, so that we can be proud of our nation.
And above all things, be like the heavens: A home for God.
If any of these images caught our attention, then act on it.
Let that image be our inspiration and motivation in our journey towards happiness.
May Jesus, the bread of life, fill the hunger of our hearts and the thirst of our souls, so that we become signs that point to God.