First reading: Exodus 16:2-4,12-15
Psalm: Ps 78:3-4,23-25,54
Epistle: Ephesians 4:17,20-24
Gospel: John 6:24-35
So they said to him,
—What can we do to accomplish the works of God?—
Jesus answered and said to them,
—This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.—
Why do we travel?
It is summer time and we’re in the peak travel weeks. I’d like to consider travel today. Why do we travel? From short hops to long trips, to world tours our travel usually has a purpose. We may need to jump in the car to pick up a few groceries, or go to the doctor, or go to work. We may walk for exercise. We may travel to see family, a tourist spot. As Christians we are a people of travel —“ we go on pilgrimages to holy places, the places Jesus visited, the great buildings created to give God glory.
Many of us have traveled to Scranton, to visit the final resting place of Bishop Hodur, to take part in Church activities, or to pray in the cathedral built by immigrants to the glory and honor of God. We come here each Sunday, to this holy place, to offer God our time and attention, to put our focus on Him.
Travel has a purpose. It may be travel for an immediate need or for the dream, once-in-a-lifetime vacation we’ve always wanted to take. It may be for eternity. It may be for our destiny.
They looked for Jesus:
Today we hear of need. The Israelites were not happy, out in the desert without food. They grumbled because they had a need. God, feed us! And He did.
The people Jesus had fed in the wilderness came looking for Him.
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,—¨
they themselves got into boats
—¨and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
They and the Israelites in the desert had to travel to get what they needed.
While in the wilderness the Israelites got up and traveled throughout the camp gathering manna. In the twilight they got up to gather the quail. It didn’t just appear on their plates all ready to eat, they had to travel, to go and get it.
Likewise, Jesus didn’t sit back on the mountainside handing out loaves and fishes. Jesus traveled on, going to Capernaum. The people’s response was to get up, to travel on further (remember they had left their homes and things behind to follow Him into the wilderness in the first place). The people went further from home to find Jesus.
You’ve come a long way:
At Eleven today Eva Ann is going to join us. She’s traveled a good distance to be here, to do something remarkable. Eva Ann has traveled to Albany from Tennessee to find eternal life. I find this fact simply remarkable.
In this age Baptism has been turned into quite a business. The world says: Sure it’s a nice ceremony and all, but it’s really an opportunity to party. To the world it is no more than a baby naming ceremony in a fancy building with pretty clothes —“ and of course the party afterwards.
This event, in our parish today, is something more. It is more because Eva and her family traveled a great distance to be here. If this were just a thing they could have done it, and had a party, back home. You can have a baby naming ceremony in practically any church building without a lot of questions. I’ve got kids and I know it’s a lot easier to have your children at home, in their familiar surroundings, with all the stuff you need all around. So why travel. Why come to Albany, to Holy Name of Jesus Parish, to the Holy Polish National Catholic Church, if all you want is a nice ceremony and a party?
Makes no sense does it? There must be something more.
What did they hope to accomplish?
Eva Ann’s parents obviously hoped to accomplish something here. They traveled to this city, and are coming to this holy place. They invited friends and family to join them. They left the comforts of home and Eva’s crib, her toys, her changes of clothes. They traveled with her on pilgrimage, walking the walk thousands of generations of Christians have walked. They will climb the steps of this church to accomplish Eva’s destiny.
What if:
I would ask Eva’s parents to think back to the day she was born, to that moment they first held her. The doctors, nurses, technicians, midwives, all the commotion is going on but they feel as if they are in a place all by themselves. Bang! They’re startled out of the special place. Here’s Deacon Jim crashing through the room, banging into trays of instruments, tripping over something, clumsy as anything, but he’s got something to tell them.
I say: Your daughter is a princess. They say: ‘Well ok, we know that, yes she’s beautiful, but why are you here?’ I say, ‘No, you don’t understand, she is a princess, beautiful, clothed in royal garb, there’s a castle waiting, she’ll be happy every day of her life, and she’ll live forever.’
Since I don’t look like one of the good fairies from Sleeping Beauty they quickly assume I’m crazy and ask the nearest nurse to call security.
But, I insist I am right.
To accomplish this:
I said that Eva’s family traveled, hoping to accomplish something. I said that they’ve traveled to fulfill Eva Ann’s destiny. What they will accomplish, will fulfill, is to make everything I’ve just said true.
Destiny is this:
Eva Ann is to be a princess, a beauty. She will be clothed in royal garb, and there is a palace that awaits her. She will be happy every day of her life, and she will live forever. Today she will meet her destiny.
Today, as she is bathed in the waters of baptism and anointed with sacred chrism she will become a princess in the body of Christ, in the Holy Church.
Her beauty is perfection because she will be regenerated, made new in the life of faith.
She will be clothed in the royal garb that has marked Christians throughout the centuries. It is the white garb worn by every Christian ruler, kings, queens, princes, and princesses. It is the garb worn by knights, it is the garb washed in the blood of martyrs. Every saint, every man, woman, and child claiming Christ wears this royal garb.
She will be happy because she has the assurance that no matter the event, no matter the momentary sadness she has our Lord and Savior to cling to. Jesus will stand with her and His Holy Church will support and pray for her. Jesus absolutely, 100% guarantees that her happiness will be forever if she is regenerated and believes on Him.
Eva Ann will enter the body of Christ today in this community, she will be regenerated, and she will live forever. Jesus has prepared a place for her, a royal palace. From that palace her royal beauty will stand eternal; and she will stand with the whole community of saints in her white robes raising the eternal hosanna. That is her destiny. That is our destiny.
I will ask Eva Ann’s parents, godparents, family and friends, and I ask this community to consistently remind her and ourselves of our shared destiny. Let us thank God that our parents and godparents traveled to give us, to accomplish this, destiny. The world lives for the here and now, and people don’t consider destiny, but Christians know their destiny, for eternity is in our grasp. Amen.
