杏MAP导航

By Lydia O鈥橩ane

At the beginning of Mass on Friday, the 杏MAP导航 prayed for teachers and students during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

鈥淲e pray today for teachers who have to work so hard to provide lessons via the internet and other digital ways, and we also pray for students who have to take exams in a way they are not used to. Let us accompany them with prayer.鈥�

In his homily, 杏MAP导航 Francis reflected on the Gospel reading about the loaves and the fishes (John 6:1-15) focusing on the sentence, 鈥淗e said this only to put Philip to the test; he himself knew exactly what he was going to do.鈥�

Jesus teaches by testing

鈥淭he sentence of this passage makes us think鈥�, remarked the 杏MAP导航. 鈥淎nd that's what Jesus had in mind when he asked Philip. 鈥榃here can we buy some bread for these people to eat鈥�.鈥�

鈥淛esus knew what he was about to accomplish鈥�, explained 杏MAP导航 Francis, but he was testing Philip. In this scene, he continued, 鈥測ou can see Jesus's attitude with the apostles.鈥� 鈥淗e continually put them to the test in order to teach them and if they had deviated from what Jesus had asked them to do he would stop them and he would teach them.鈥�

The Gospel, noted the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渋s full of these gestures of Jesus to make His disciples grow to become pastors of the people of God.鈥�

One of the things Jesus loved most, he underlined, 鈥渨as to be with the crowd because this too is a symbol of the universality of redemption. And one of the things the Apostles didn't like most was the crowd because they liked to be close to the Lord, to hear everything the Lord said.鈥�

Despite having their day of rest ruined, commented 杏MAP导航 Francis, the disciples listen to Jesus and talk amongst each other.

In this way, said the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渢he Lord sought closeness with the people and sought to form the hearts of the pastors to the closeness with the people of God to serve them.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 then brought up the example when Jesus was with the children. There, Jesus wanted the disciples to understand that He didn鈥檛 mind being disturbed; he wanted the little children to come to him, the 杏MAP导航 said.

鈥淗e teaches the apostles this pastoral behaviour, which is being near to the people of God.鈥�

The people of God, emphasized 杏MAP导航 Francis make one tired 鈥渂ecause they always ask for concrete things鈥︹�� And so the pastor always needs to be ready to provide these things.鈥�

In another version of the multiplication of the loaves, it was the disciples who wanted to send the people way just as darkness was descending, Jesus tests his disciples by telling them "Give them something to eat".

鈥淎nd this is what Jesus says today to all pastors: "You feed them". "Are they distressed? Give them consolation. Are they lost? Show them the way out.鈥�

Concluding his homily, the 杏MAP导航 highlighted that 鈥渢he power of the pastor is service. He has no other power. When you begin to make mistakes taking other powers your vocation is ruined.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis also prayed that the Lord would speak to pastor of the Church, teaching them above all not to be afraid of God鈥檚 people, but to be close to them.