Sunday Reflection by Mayor Beng Climaco

 18th Sunday

Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15 Psalm 78:3-4, 23-24, 25, 54; Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 and John 6:24-35

WE LIFT up prayers for the Eternal Rest of PNoy on his 40th day and the 12th Death Anniversary of President Cory Aquino. In the words of Fr. Karel San Juan, S.J., they showed selflessness, sacrifice and servant leadership in values they fought for, lived for and died for to be God's bread and light, they offered their life and love for our country. Paz eterno Ninoy, Cory y Noy Aquino. 

Eph 4:17, 20-24 

Brothers and sisters:

I declare and testify in the Lord

that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do,

in the futility of their minds;

that is not how you learned Christ,

assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him,

as truth is in Jesus,

that you should put away the old self of your former way of life,

corrupted through deceitful desires,

and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,

and put on the new self,

created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.

The Second Reading calls us to renew our lives from the futility of our old self. There is so much hunger from food and the thirsts of our human selves. We pursue pleasure that fails to satisfy. I remember when I was still single, a group of friends took me to Embassy, a club in The Fort. It was a sought after place with lights, loud music and the “place to be” at that time. To be “in the scene” was quite an experience and we were given a soothing cool drink with lemons that turned my face “red and hot” until I literally threw-up and felt drunk, dizzy and had a “hangover” sleeping almost 3 a.m. 

This experience at the Embassy taught me hard lessons in life. Not all good things last and we pay for temporary pleasure. Because of our hunger and thirst today, we seek satisfaction from gambling, social media, pornography, sex, illegal drugs, and vices, we aspire for power, popularity and the peso which will make us worst and not satisfy our Hunger and Thirst. 

Jesus in the Gospel teaches us that He is the True Bread. “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” 

Experience will teach us important lessons in life and we learn from our mistakes. Our ambitions are purified and corrected. What we pursue, what we think is important and valuable might not give us true meaning and satisfaction. Our pleasures are temporary. We are called to believe in Jesus who was sent by the Father. May we hunger and thirst for Jesus alone, who will satisfy us eternally. Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” (MBC)