A sermon on John 6:24-35

By Fr. Mike Paraniuk
St. Mary Catholic Church
St. Benignus Catholic Church 
St. Mary Queen of Heaven
and Holy Trinity Catholic Church

God put into every human a need to belong. When you belong, you find someone who accepts you, who loves you. This need is so strong I have witnessed children who still cling to a parent who abused them. 

A mother with children once told me, "I don't know what it's like to be in the bathroom alone." 

Even animals need to belong. My cat Oscar sleeps by my side. Every morning when awake, he jumps in my lap, pulls my face to his with his paws and rubs his cheeks against mine. Then I have to whisper into his ear, "Oscar, I love you. You are magnificent. You are marvelous. You are munificent. You are the best of all the kitties in the world." His purrs are so loud he sounds like a boat motoring.

I believe God created us to belong for a very special reason. God wants you to belong to Him. God wants you to need Him. 

John 6:28-29 says, "Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.”

Faith is believing Jesus wants you. He desires you. Jesus gave up everything to possess you. He gave up Heaven. He gave up the glory of His Divinity. He gave up His life. God has worked so hard to win you back. Now you must work to accept His love. 

The story of Jesus is a story of unrequited love. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." (Luke 13:34.)

A very important question must be answered. We know Jesus wants you. Do you want Him? How do you accept Jesus into your life?

I believe accepting Jesus and falling in love are very similar. Remember what it was like when you first fell in love. Here are some of the things you experienced:

1) Preoccupation: The person you love is constantly in your thoughts. Prayer puts Jesus in your thoughts. I think a lot about what Jesus wants me to do throughout my day.

2) The Delight Stage: Everything your loved one does is adorable. When you accept Jesus, you begin to admire what Jesus did. He showed love, mercy and compassion. You cherish them so much you work to live like Jesus.

3) Intimacy: As lovers get closer, they drop the masks and show themselves who they really are. There is great joy when someone loves me for who I am. Spiritual joy comes when you can go to Jesus, dump the guilt and believe He wants you as you really are, warts and all. Even my sins cannot lessen His desire for me.

4) Possession: I don't want to do anything to lose the one I love. When I accept Jesus, I don't want to do anything that would break my relationship with him.

5) Union: Two lovers think and act as one. I so enjoy watching older couples communicate. They know each other so well one starts a sentence and other finishes it. 

I remember my mom and dad during one of their conversations. Dad: "You know Julie..." Mom: "I thoroughly agree." 

One who loves Jesus will think like Him. God said in Romans 12:2, "Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God – what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect."

Catholics believe that when we gather around God's table for Mass, that little piece of bread and small cup of wine become a visible sign of His enormous love. When we consume the body and blood of Jesus, then Jesus consumes us. That's how you fall in love with Jesus.