From doing to being

Wednesday in the Third Week in Easter

Acts 7:51-8:1; Jn 6:30-35

When I was young I was once given a set of magic tricks as a Christmas gift. In it there was a small booklet with instructions and at the back of this booklet there was written, "Nobody can resist a magician!"

It is true. We all like to see astonishing things happening in front of us. Like the disciples in today's Gospel we want to see Jesus work miracles. The disciples even compared him with Moses, as though they were telling him, let us see if you can beat him. That is a very childish attitude so Jesus wants them to grow in faith.

Jesus shows them not what he can do but who he is. He helps them move from doing to being. We struggle to make this move. Jesus does not give them a sign, because he is the sign. We just need to learn how to read the sign. Only two years ago a painting was discovered in an attic in France, which had been abandoned for hundreds of years. Last week it was valued to cost €120 million. The sign was there but whoever owned the house where this painting was found did not know how to read the sign. He thought it was useless and that it can never give him anything.

When people ask us about our religion, we often reply saying about what Christians do, what do we believe in, how do we celebrate it, and so on. Instead, however, we must be more intent on who we are. Who are we as Christians?

We can find an answer in today's first reading. There is reference to Saul, who was among those who were persecuting Stephen. Stephen must have acted as a sign for Saul just as Jesus acts as a sign for us. He did not do anything in particular: he merely spoke about God and then accepted willingly to die in his name. He was more than he did. Yet, although the text of the Acts of the Apostles does not tell us for certain, Stephen must have impressed Saul enough to influence his conversion later on.

Jesus is the sign for us. He identifies himself with the humblest and commonest of objects: bread, which is broken and eaten. But it is bread that brings together the toil of so many people and which gives life to those who eat it.

May we learn how to see Jesus not simply as a wonder worker but as the sign of the living God.
May we open our eyes to see this sign who is Jesus.
But most of all let us believe in Jesus that we may receive what he wants to give us: life and life everlasting.