Homily for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Nothing In This World Can Satisfy In The End

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, August 4, 2024

Puritanism, which originated in England in the late 1500’s attempts to promote rigidity and austerity, especially in matters of religion or conduct. Simply put, puritans advocate a flight from the goods of this world. Why? Because they consider them evil. But the Catholic Church rejects this belief system and way of life because we are meant to enjoy the world that God has made. In the book of Genesis, we are told that what God has made is good and we are meant to enjoy them. Although the Catholic Church rejects puritanism in all its forms, there is something it is saying that is true; and that thing is the reason why puritanism has lasted this long. We believe the world is created good. We believe we live in the world of good things, but nothing in this world can ultimately satisfy the deepest longing of the human heart. Look around you. There are lots of good things, pleasurable things, yet the hunger of our heart goes beyond this world. For this reason, we should not be drawn completely into the goods of this world. There has to be a balanced approach when dealing with the world. We accept the goods of the world, we enjoy the goods of the world, we say yes to the world, but then in a very serious manner, we detach from the world. We say no to the world. 

Everyone knows there is a restlessness and a longing in all of us. Think of the greatest moments in your life, like the time when you found your sweetheart, when a proposal to get married was made and accepted. Think of the excitement you had when your first child was born, when you applied for your dream job and got it. Think of the time when your team secured a victory, or when you achieved something significant. Think of the time when you met an important person in society, a celebrity. About two weeks ago, I had a dream. And in my dream, I met the great St. Pope John Paul II and we had this wonderful conversation. In that dream, I was shaking with great excitement as I said to him, “Holy Father, it is really good to see you.” I held his hand; with smiles he spoke to me, and there were thousands of people watching us. After my conversation with him, I turned to the people and said, “For everyone here, we have known just one Pope, John Paul II and we are all children of this beloved Pope. At every Mass we attended, the name we all heard is Pope John Paul II.” At the end of it, he blessed me and as people were cheering, I woke up. I tell you, for the next couple of days, I was so happy, so excited that I started a Novena prayer to St. Pope John II. Now, what do these great moments in our life have in common? Although they bring us great happiness, the happiness will eventually fade away. You experience them for a while, and the experience might be really strong and intense, but it does fade away eventually and you find yourself longing again for more pleasure. On every July 4, some of us go out at night to watch the fireworks. When a firework goes off, you see this great display of extremely beautiful lights. My parish in Memphis, Tennessee was located close to the downtown, and from the rectory, I did see what I am talking about here. Watching fireworks, especially the big ones, is really beautiful. But then as you watch and are filled with great delight, what happens? It disappears! In an instant, in the twinkle of an eye, it is gone! And the saddest thing about this experience is that its disappearance happens while you are still enchanted and enjoying its beauty and elegance. I tell you, in many ways, that’s how life is like. In an instant, it appears. We shout with great delight. But then, it vanishes and goes and we are left wanting something more. 

Let’s make it more concrete. What happens when you purchase a beautiful house? You are so elated and people who know you celebrate with you for your achievement. Shortly after that, the thrill wanes. With the passage of time, that beautiful house will start falling apart and needing repair work. The old and smoky car you see on the road, I mean the ones we call “clunker” “jalopy” “hunk of junk” etc was once the most elegant on the road. Some people actually worked extra shifts just to save money and purchase it. Some people might have engaged in criminal activity like selling drugs just to buy it. But today, that car is a piece of junk and worth almost nothing. What about food? Food is essential. We cannot survive without it. From time to time, we enjoy a good and special meal, and there is nothing wrong with that. But after all the enjoyment, it does not take much time to start longing for more food. Sometimes after eating a satisfying meal, I say to myself, “this is it. I’m not gonna eat again today.” But after a few hours, I am hungry again and will require extra discipline to resist going down to the kitchen and opening the refrigerator in search of food. This tells me that my food is not designed to satisfy the deepest longing of my heart. What about entertainment? I love entertainment. I love music and movies, especially edgy horror movies and comedy. Sometimes, entertainment offers us real satisfaction and true happiness. But after a powerful, energetic and enthusiastic display and show, it is over. If you watched the movie in the movie theater, you get up and go home. If you watched it at home, you turn to the next thing to do. The excitement is over and you are looking forward to your next excitement. What about something more substantial like relationships? Relationships are extremely pleasing and satisfying. Marriage is amazing, and reflects God’s love. Some of the best moments in life happen within these relationships. However, like everything else in the world, the joy it brings is also limited. Every marriage or relationship or friendship has good days and bad days. The same event or experience that gave you a heightened sense of joy and satisfaction can be the source of intense sorrow and pain. And in the final analysis, all of our relationships will end because we will all die. Though the hope of meeting again in eternal life consoles us, it is only possible if we end up in the same place and in the halls of heaven. What about honors? Being honored generates some thrilling sensation. I have been honored in my life. There have been times when my professors told me that my research paper is so impressive that if I wanted, they would help me publish them. Did such comments make me happy? You betcha! My happiness was like the fireworks going off. But then, it is over. Here is the stubborn fact: everything in this world is evaporating. No matter what you are enjoying now, it’s not meant to satisfy the deepest longing of your heart.

But why am I spending this time talking about this sad reality? Inside of you, you might be wondering, “What’s the good news in this?” “Why is he depressing us?” By the way,  this is not meant to depress us but to wake us up again to this spiritual reality. Life on earth requires a balancing act. On one hand, accept that this world is good and we are made by God to experience the joy of honor, the satisfaction of food and drink, the warmness of relationship, the amazing benefits of work and all the good things God brings to our life. On the other hand, accept that none of these will finally satisfy you. All the excitements, the great delights, the real pleasures they offer us are but an image of heaven. Accept that in this life, we won’t be perfectly happy. Why? Because there is something in us that longs for something that this world cannot offer. Today’s Gospel (John 6:24-35) is a continuation of the Gospel of last weekend. John 6 begins with a symbolic memorial of the Mass. After Jesus multiplied the loaves and had people eat to their satisfaction, he sensed the crowd had the intention to carry him off to make him king, so he withdrew from there and went to the mountain alone (John 6:15). The next day, some people started to look for him. John says, “When they found him across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Responding Jesus says, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. 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.” Every earthly goods in itself is good, but like fireworks that light up the sky at night and then vanish, they too would. It is necessary to work for food, yet food inevitably will perish, just like those it sustains. In contrast to perishable food there is another food that endures for eternal life. Just as natural food sustains bodily life, this food sustains us for eternal life. What’s this food? Jesus calls it the Bread of life. The Catholic Church calls it the Eucharist. Writing about the Eucharist, the great St. Thomas Aquinas said, “The Eucharist contains not just the power of Christ, the Eucharist is ipse Christus, Christ Himself.” This means that Christ himself is the only food that can satisfy us. You can now see why at Mass we joyfully sing, dance, and clap for it is the anticipation of heaven and the celebration of the only food that can ultimately satisfy us.

Beloved sisters and brothers, if you hear people say the Eucharist is merely a symbol and a sign of Christ, please do not believe them even if you view such people as smart and intelligent. I tell you, if the Eucharist is only a symbol and sign, what’s the point? But if the Eucharist is Christ himself (ipse Christus), then the Eucharist is the only food that can satisfy the deepest hunger of the human heart. This is the very reason why Vatican II insists that the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. You can run after these wonderful goods of the world— wealth, power, honor and pleasure etc. but none of them can truly satisfy the deepest hunger of your heart. Only Jesus Christ can do that through the gift of himself— the Eucharist, the Bread of life. Are you not surprised that the real food that can finally satisfy us is not acquired but given? Just as earthly life is a gift and not acquired, so also eternal life. Though we must strive to receive eternal life, in the final analysis it is a gift. So, stop chasing the goods of this world with all your soul, heart, mind, and being. They won’t guarantee lasting joy. Rather, receive the food that guarantees joy, perfect joy, peace, perfect peace. What’s that food? The Bread of life! Jesus himself. 

God bless you!