(Jn 6:22-29)
Not a few seek Jesus not for the amazement of the Person and his Way, but because He guarantees more satiety than others (v.26).
Then we must get out of the superficiality of short thoughts. To the Master, the "correct" relationship already seems a "finished" Love.
Christ's proposal points to other goals; it’s not matched by momentary enthusiasm for a sensational event, nor by quiet selfishness.
In the Sign that nourishes the new Way [the Exodus of «little boats» (vv.22-24) that follow Christ] lies a Vocation and a Mission.
Beyond where one assumes.
A Mysticism of the donated Seed opens up the meaning of personal existence - to finally set us off without guardians (v.22).
The «Son of man» is the person endowed with full humanity, depicting man in the divine condition.
He is always surprisingly on the other side (v.25) to make himself that "I don't know what": ‘Perfume’ of the outgoing Church.
Eros-beyond, which overcomes attachments, habits, consolidated equilibriums.
The Lord doesn’t identify spiritual well-being with the extinguishing of the soul’s flame, in the manias even of activism.
Therefore, the required Work is not at all about fulfilling the many prescriptions.
It does not resemble the usual staging, set-up and composition works [the «doing»: v.28], for it is rather singular Action of God [Subject] in us.
Observances must be tediously piled on top of each other.
The divine Initiative that is accomplished in our every gesture is instead a precious Virtue, an unexpected Energy.
A new opportunity to meet ourselves, our brothers, another shore - and to detach ourselves from exteriority.
Jesus reveals himself in the sign of the breaking of Bread.
«Food that endures for the Life of the Eternal» (v. 27), that is, that flows into an experience that already here and now possesses the indestructible quality of God's own intimacy.
In order to receive the well-chopped Food that sustains and becomes a source of complete life in us, the "work" to be done doesn’t belong to the kind that we can ‘prepare’ - not even according to law and devotions.
It can only be a response to the work that the Father himself carries out within each of us; even if it does not immediately appear brilliant and finalized.
And here is the reversal guaranteed by the adventure of Faith:
Religious submission is swept away by Acceptance, which has a far less mortifying (and reductionist) sense; conversely, respectful of attempts. And creative.
The relationship with God changes.
It becomes one of pure welcoming; yet inventive, by Name: unrepeatable and personal.
No more of passive renunciation, reproach, purification, obedience [“yes-sir” appearances].
The founding Eros does not scold us: it is solely Gift. For a healthy Reciprocity, respectful of our character and ascendant.
In this way, the Attraction will not be extinguished. It wants its peaks every day; it is not enough for it to become normal symbiosis, then habit.
Rather, it dreams of a broad Path.
The rest unfortunately remains ineffective or ambiguous sequels; leading the soul always at war with itself and others.
Binary that here and there can only manifest blind, one-sided, forced caricatures of the Eternal’s Image - despite the claims of excellence.
Mechanisms that hurt.
[Monday 3rd wk. in Easter, May 5, 2025]
