Monday - Third Week of Easter

Gospel – John 6:22-29

Little Miracles

Sunrise in Galilee

In no way am I any sort of magician!  However I have had my moments!  Back when the grandsons were little, I could always amaze them by making my thumb or their nose disappear and then re-appear. Or maybe it was finding a quarter behind their ear.  They loved that one so much that they wanted me to keep repeating it.  Wonder why!  Even when I was teaching, I would always have an assortment of brain-teasers, seemingly impossible puzzles on my desk or a ‘simple’ card trick where they would pick a card, tear it up and then find it again in a sealed envelope!  No matter what I pulled out of my hat, the response was always the same.  Do it again!  Show me another one!

Today’s Gospel picks up after Jesus had fed the crowd with the multiplication of loaves and fishes.  He then quickly leaves and apparently walks across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum.  His disciples eventually follow Him.  The next morning, the crowds wake to find them all gone.  And instead of being satisfied with the events of the previous day, they all go looking for Jesus, like a group of star-struck fans.  They finally grab boats, cross the Sea of Galilee and find Him in Capernaum.

Talk about persistence!  The crowd wanted more from Jesus.  They followed Him.  At this point, it’s probably safe to say they were at least curious, much less looking for another free meal.  But they put a lot of effort into locating Him.  So maybe this was the beginning of faith for them and not just a desire to fill an empty stomach.  And so Jesus continues to teach them how to grow in their budding faith and how to receive the food of eternal life.  You have to do the works of God and you have to believe in Me! 

And maybe they were looking for another miracle, something to top the loaves and fishes.  Maybe the crowd was clamoring for Jesus to ‘show them another one.’  But His response is clear.  Don’t spend your life waiting and hoping for that one big lightning bolt miracle. Don’t let it cloud your judgment and your sight so that you completely miss the little miracles right in front of your eyes every day.  It’s not about the big thing, the big miracles – multiplication of loaves and fishes, walking on water.   It’s about simple things:  sunset, the smile of our little child, the unexpected hug with the words “I love you, dad”.  It’s about a star-lit night and the sound of silence sitting by a stream.

 Appreciate the miracles all around you and, most importantly, BELIEVE!  Believe in the Creator and in the Son who redeemed us all!

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