VOICE OF THE LOGOS: REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF EASTER, YEAR 1

Using Religion Like a Customer Service & Following Jesus for the Wrong Reasons

First Reading: Acts 6:8-15
Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 118(119):23-24,26-27,29-30
Gospel: John 6:22-29
________________________________________

Imagine a situation that most people have experienced at least once: calling a customer service line only when something breaks down or fails to deliver as expected. You never call to thank them when things are working fine. You’re polite as long as your request is granted quickly, but as soon as there’s delay, you become agitated or even threaten to switch providers. Now apply this same behaviour to the way many people treat their relationship with God. People pray when they need a job, attend Mass more fervently during a crisis, or increase their devotion when health or financial troubles strike. But once the problem is resolved, they disappear until the next issue arises. This approach treats faith not as a covenant or discipleship, but as a customer service contract where God is expected to provide on demand, and religion becomes a platform for complaint or benefit collection. This is the heart of what it means to follow Jesus for the wrong reasons: using religion for gain rather than for surrender.

This idea is evident in the First Reading from Acts 6:8–15. The Sitz im Leben of this text situates us in the early Christian community’s rapid growth, which stirred both curiosity and resistance among Jewish authorities who felt threatened by what they perceived as a subversion of Mosaic Law and Temple worship. Stephen, filled with grace and power, performs signs and wonders among the people. Yet rather than be moved to conversion, certain men from the Synagogue of Freedmen rise to argue and falsely accuse him. These opponents were not atheists or pagans but devout men who claimed to defend God’s truth. Their reaction to Stephen was not born of honest debate but of fear of losing religious control and social standing. Interestingly, the Greek word “λειτουργία” (leitourgia – from which we get “liturgy”) originally meant “public service.” In this case, Stephen is offering his “public service” to God by witnessing to the truth of Christ, while his opponents reduce faith to a system of institutional control. Their religion, like modern customer service, is focused on managing outcomes, preserving privileges, and avoiding discomfort. They are not following God but using religious language and structures to protect their interests. Stephen’s martyrdom will eventually reveal whose faith is genuine.

The Responsorial Psalm (119) functions as a deep personal contrast to the superficial religiosity of Stephen’s accusers. It reflects the sincere longing of someone who treasures God’s statutes not as tools for manipulation but as a path for living rightly, regardless of the outcome. “Remove from me the way of falsehood” the psalmist pleads, “and favour me with your law.” This prayer reveals a heart that is not interested in using God’s word for personal advantage but desires to conform to divine wisdom. It speaks to a spirituality that is not transactional but transformational. Unlike the customer-service mindset that only seeks results, the psalmist is committed to God’s law even in hardship. The writer accepts affliction as part of fidelity and confesses that God’s word is more desirable than riches. This mindset stands as a spiritual mirror for modern believers who expect God to bless them with immediate solutions, and abandon prayer or sacraments when their lives become inconvenient. The psalm challenges us to examine whether we truly love God’s word for what it reveals about Him, or merely for what we hope to extract from it.

In the Gospel reading from John 6:22–29, the crowd seeks Jesus with eagerness, but their enthusiasm is quickly exposed. Jesus rebukes them, saying, “You are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” The Sitz im Leben of this passage is the aftermath of the multiplication of loaves. Having been miraculously fed, the people pursue Jesus not for deeper relationship but for more food, more signs, more benefits. They were drawn by what He could do, not by who He is. Jesus redirects their desire, urging them not to work for food that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life. The Greek word used for “work” here is “ἐργάζομαι” (ergazomai), which refers to labour, effort, or striving. Jesus is saying that faith itself requires effort, not passivity or entitlement. It is not a vending machine but a labour of belief. The people then ask, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” Jesus answers: “This is the work of God, that you believe in the One He sent.” This challenges every form of religion that seeks only outcomes. Belief here is not intellectual assent but entrusting one’s entire life to Christ, even when there is no bread or immediate solution.

Many practical lessons arise from this reflection. First, faith must never be reduced to a tool for self-interest. When people attend Mass only because they are in trouble or expect a miracle, they strip discipleship of its substance. Like the crowd in John 6, they follow Jesus to get fed, not to be formed. This attitude leads to shallow faith that easily collapses under pressure. A mature Christian is one who remains in the Church, continues to pray, and obeys God’s commands even when nothing visible is changing. Stephen’s witness teaches us that true faith will often provoke opposition and misunderstanding, yet it remains rooted in truth.

Second, we are invited to examine our motives. Why do we pray, serve, attend liturgies, or engage in charitable works? Is it out of love for God, or because we hope He will return the favour? Psalm 119 offers us a model of sincere devotion that persists in suffering. It is honest about affliction but does not use it as an excuse to walk away. When people treat faith like customer service, they quickly abandon God when their spiritual “order” is delayed. But the psalmist shows us a better path: delight in God’s law, not for what it can deliver, but for the communion it establishes with the Lord.

Lastly, Jesus’s challenge in the Gospel is timeless: seek not the perishable bread but the Bread of Life. This means following Jesus not because He solves our problems but because He is Lord. In an age where religion is increasingly marketed and tailored for convenience, believers must reclaim the radical call of discipleship. That includes trusting God when prayers are unanswered, continuing to serve when recognition is absent, and loving Christ when blessings seem distant. True faith is not customer loyalty. It is covenant love that persists even when nothing is received in return. Let each of us ask: am I seeking Jesus for who He is, or for what I can get?

O that today you would listen to his VOICE, harden not your hearts! (Ps. 95:7)

____________________________

Shalom!
© Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Seminário Padre Pedro Magnone, São Paulo, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com

__________________________
Have you prayed your rosary today?