"He said the blessing, broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples"
Matthew 14: 13-21
These days in which we are more cautious about where we
go and who we are with due to these endless concerns about viral infection, we
certainly miss the benefits of community gatherings. I know I do very much. Not only the faith
dimensions but the emotional and psychological importance of gathering together
in a social situation where we enjoy the companionship of family, friends and
others.
Yet, gatherings remain essential for our overall health
and we can’t live under a rock or locked in our homes forever. As we should not
be ruled by fears we should be more motivated by faith and God’s care for us. Today’s
readings are rich both in their beauty but even more in their invitation. It is
God who invites us and no virus will prevent our response.
We hear this particularly in our first reading from
Isaiah: “All who are thirsty come to the
water! You who have no money, come,
receive grain and eat; come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and
milk!” There is no discount, no bill
to pay but only to accept the invitation.
“Come” and receive. It doesn’t
matter who we are but the invitation goes out to all who would respond. God offers us life that he alone sustains and
his promise of faithfulness. Not a bad
invitation indeed.
Even more, the well-known miracle story of the feeding of
thousands in recalled by Matthew in the Gospel. This was clearly a deeply
significant event to the early Christians as it is contained in every one of
the four Gospels. They came to see far more in this than Jesus just feeding
hungry people. The sign of Jesus’ multiplication of the loaves and the fish is
a fleshing out of Isaiah’s promise from God; a sign of abundance. That God gives far more than we deserve or
could ever equal is clear. We are on the receiving end of a generous God who
gives not because we ask for or deserve it but because he desperately wants to
share his love with us.
The rich Eucharistic theme of this story must have been
evident as the early Christian assemblies gathered for the breaking of
bread. In the bread and fish they must
have seen Christ feeding them through the Eucharist as they understood it to
be. It was a sign of their unity and a
mark of God’s abundance that stood with them in the midst of their gatherings.
In the familiar story, which has encountered a variety of
interpretations, it is clear that one truth stands out: Jesus feeds a hungry crowd as God once fed
the wandering people in the desert with Moses.
Remember the hungry Hebrews in the desert with
Moses? Hungry and thirsty they cry out
to Moses: “Why did you bring us here?”
Moses prays on their behalf and God gives them water from the rock and
manna from heaven. Here Jesus is about
to provide another manna – more than the crowds expect.
Here, Matthew makes their hunger palpable: “The disciples approached Jesus and said,
‘this is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that
they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus responds: “Give them some food yourselves.” We know that all they offered was “five
loaves and two fish” offered by a young boy.
So, in this place of sparse provisions, abundance is
provided as the “five thousand men, not counting women and children” are fed
more than they can eat - hunger, desolation, and God’s provident care. In the end, the result was the unifying of a
previously disparate crowd. The miraculous nature of the story is that God
cares that we are fed not only in the soul, as he taught them, but also in our
bodies, as he provided food.
Yet, it is more. The real miracle is the sharing. Sharing food with your neighbor was common in
ancient times since it was believed there was only a fixed amount for
everyone. But, the sharing nature of the
event was God sharing with us. Not only
did Jesus call the crowds to experience generosity but also to know of true
charity. As God’s invitation is offered to us we see his very nature is one to
give and invite. He does not want us to
go hungry or thirsty. But our salvation depends on whether we accept or reject
what he offers.
Even more, to include others in this same act of giving as
he invited the disciples to join with him in feeding the multitude. To share in his mission of generosity and
charity is indeed the call of every disciple, every Christian. Beautiful story; profound memory for the
early Christians and important moral lesson but there is more they saw. The
Eucharistic themes are clear as is the real identity of who Jesus is.
In the Holy Eucharist we are offered the body, blood,
soul and divinity of Jesus Christ who wants to feed us. As he did with the sparse food provided, in the Mass bread and wine are blessed, broken and distributed to the crowds. That food given was only temporary, the Eucharist is eternal and sustains us because it is Christ himself who feeds us. And as we are fed, like
the crowds, we are united as one in Christ as brothers and sisters in the Lord. We can understand why this story was so important for the early Christians.
We may feel that our desert experience of the last six
months is endless. Our lives may feel like we walk in a deserted place. Or, maybe we are simply hungry for more
direction, more meaning and purpose in life. Maybe I’ve recognized that I’m so
self-absorbed with my own problems or am too comfortable to really care
significantly about others.
Wherever I find myself, the invitation is always offered.
While this isn’t free food since a price was paid for it, Jesus’ own death and
resurrection, we too are called not too just grab it like ungrateful children
but to receive it and change to become more like him. The price of allowing ourselves to be
transformed into the image of Christ each day is indeed priceless. No discount needed but to learn from his
example of generosity and charity.
Graciously sanctify these gifts, O Lord, we pray,
and, accepting the oblation of this spiritual sacrifice,
make of us an eternal offering to you.
Through Christ our Lord.
(Prayer over the Offerings)
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