It is 11th February 2017. We celebrate the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. The readings are from Genesis 3:9-24; and the Gospel from Mark 8:1-10. The first reading brings out the stark reality of blaming someone for our personal and willful failures. God provides us and sustains us and make it easy for us when we humble and obey what God wants for our lives. The disobedience, the blame game, the pride of Adam and Eve ended in the loss of divine friendship with God and eventual expulsion from the Garden of Eden. If we do our own things and plans opposed to God’s plan, the unsurmountable sufferings are surely ahead of us. If we have clear consciences, we will be haunted by the guilt for working and ceasing the wishes of God by our evil, selfish and sinful, pleasure seeking behaviours. The sin spoils the intimacy with God and gradually the connection with God is lost. The shame and estrangement creeps in the environment of sinfulness and selfishness. We will not even notice, how subtly we are invaded and encroached by sin. Yet the timely intervention of God through the acceptance of Mary, the immaculate mother, who offered us the salvation by bringing Jesus into the world to redeem us all. The responsorial Psalm praises, “O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.” (Ps.89:1). The Gospel offers the consolation and contentment we are looking for in God through Jesus. We read about the multiplication of loaves. Our spiritual hunger can only be satisfied by the bread of life, Jesus the Lord and Redeemer not through material gains. We all are hungry one way or another. Some are hungry for power, pleasure, influence, and easy life. Some others are hungry for the everlasting and eternal food the Eucharist. Whatever we are thirsting for we surely going to get it because God is merciful and compassionate. If Jesus is our food for our souls and being, the life will be much easier. All other hunger brings momentary joy and continues suffering. May God fill us with God’s love wherever we have destroyed selfishly and sinfully. May you have a good day.