Daily Gospel Reflection for April 21, 2015

Today's Gospel: John 6:30-35

Optional Memorial of Saint Anselm, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

A dear friend of mine (I’ll call her Rachel) is in a tough spot these days. She recently moved 2,000 miles across the country with her husband and three small children. She has no family there, and she hardly has the energy required to make completely new friends and start life in an unfamiliar parish. A few months into the move, she was shocked—and a bit scared—to discover she was pregnant again. After a week or two, as she began to grow excited about the new baby, she miscarried. Grief and loneliness consumed her.

Rachel and I were in touch every other day or so around the time she lost the baby. Helpless as I felt, I was grateful we could talk over the phone. One day Rachel began apologizing for needing to talk to me so often. She wanted to feel stronger; she didn’t want to need our talks so much. “What else am I here for?” I asked. “You need help right now. I’m glad you’re asking for help, even if all I can do is listen and cry with you.”

We moms are a strong lot. And in this society where we’re rarely surrounded by older family members who automatically lend a helping hand, we can feel isolated, afraid to ask for help. But we’re not meant to live this motherly vocation alone. We need to ask for help and companionship. We need to learn how to ask.

Today’s Gospel shows how to ask Jesus boldly for what we want. “Sir, give us this bread always.” There’s no apology in that request (demand?), only a longing to be cared for. We need to ask the Lord for the desires of our heart. He will give us what we need. Always.

Ponder:

How often do I invite Jesus in to my daily needs? What can I ask him for today?

Pray:

Lord, giver of all good gifts, I am totally dependent on you. Thank you for providing everything I need, every day. Amen.

We thank our friends at The Word Among Us for providing our gospel reflection team with copies of Abide In My Word 2015: Mass Readings at Your Fingertips. To pray the daily gospels with this wonderful resource, visit The Word Among Us.

Copyright 2015 Grace Mazza Urbanski