Gospel Reflection 2020/2021

To most Malaysians, ‘panic buying’ is a relatively new terminology. We only started hearing about ‘panic buying’ after the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whenever a possible lockdown is imminent, we will flock to the nearest mall or store, shoulder our way frantically through the chaotic crowd, load our trollies with mountains of food and supplies (and yes, even toilet rolls), and stock up our kitchen, pantries and fridges with food and supplies more than sufficient to survive multiple zombie apocalypses. In the United States, the Americans even stock up on guns and ammo amid the pandemic. Psychologists confirm that ‘panic buying’ is a psychological response to cope with the fear of an unknown and uncertain future – but are we simply preparing, or are we irrationally panicking?

As Christians, we are called to always respond and not react, to prepare and not to panic, and to always remain cool, calm, composed, confident and Christ-centred in the midst of any prolonged storm.

The Psalmist [Ps 145: 15] assures us that, “The eyes of all creatures look to You and You give them their food in due time.” If God cares even for the birds in the air and the lilies in the fields, how much more the Lord will take care of us? [cf. Mt 6:25-34] Jesus has taught us to place our complete trust in the Lord and not to worry about what to eat, what to drink and what to wear – to look to our Father and call out to Him “…Give us this day our daily bread…”. The Lord will always provide our daily needs.

In the Gospel reading of the 18^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus declares that “I AM the Bread of Life”. He is reminding us that we must not be engrossed only in the earthly bread. Instead, we must hunger and desire for the Heavenly Bread i.e. Jesus Himself. All breads come from God the Father: the earthly bread feeds and sustains our physical body; but Jesus Christ, the Heavenly Bread feeds and nourishes our soul.

Whenever we pray “…Give us this day our daily bread…”, we should consciously ask for:

(1) Our physical and earthly food and supplies, sufficient to sustain our life;

(2) Our spiritual and heavenly food – Jesus our Bread of Life – eternally present to us in the Word and in the Eucharist.

St Ignatius of Loyola says that everything in this world is presented to us ‘so that we can know God more easily and make a return of love more readily’. The next time when we are in panic-buying mood and mode, let us place our complete trust in God, to prepare and not to panic, and not forgetting to store up spiritual food for the nourishment and salvation of our souls. Transformed by Jesus our Bread of Life, may we also become the bread broken for the world – offering both physical food and spiritual food to those in need.

Let our fervent prayer be:

“Our Father, give us this day our daily bread.”