It is said that in sharing a meal
with others we share ourselves. One
cannot sit at table, eating a communal meal, without sharing in the lives of
those who sit at table with us. Our Lord
often sat at table with others; sharing not only in their meal, but in their
lives. This was one of his most personal and effective methods of teaching and
preaching. His was a close and personal
approach to sharing his life with those around him.
In Corinthians, the scriptural
passage just prior to the one today, Paul admonishes those who were rich for
eating and drinking to excess while others at the same table went hungry. The rich members of the early Christian
communities were the ones who had homes large enough to accommodate a group of
followers of “The Way,” so they became the meeting places for the early
church.
As the way of things in the world,
the rich began to take care only of themselves; ignoring the poorer members of
the community. This brought disunity to the community – the
exact opposite of Jesus’ message of loving all our brothers and sisters as we
love ourselves. Paul reminds the
community of our Lord’s words at the Last Supper; his institution of the
Eucharist as a remembrance of His sacrifice: His ultimate sharing of love for
them - His Life for all people.
In our sharing of the Eucharist at
the communal meal of the mass, we share in the mission and ministry of Christ:
not only at this table, but with the whole world. We continue His presence
among all people, seeing and being Christ as we share our lives.
We are given many opportunities by
the Holy Spirit to be Christ to the world: to share Jesus, the Bread of Life,
with all people. It is in recognizing
these opportunities that we need to see with the eyes and heart of Christ.
In today’s Gospel, the Apostles
almost missed a wonderful opportunity to live in the mission and ministry of
Jesus. By asking Jesus to send the
people away to find lodgings and provisions, they failed to see that it was
within them that the people would be served in all their needs.
Jesus tells them to feed the
people, but the Apostles complain that they only have five loaves and two
fish.
- Where the Apostles see little substance, Jesus sees great abundance.
- Where the Apostles rely on man’s efforts to provide, Jesus relies on the power of God.
He knows that it is only when we
rely on the love of God that we are powerful and through our belief - we are
able to do all things – even care for and feed a multitude - who hunger and
thirst.
God chooses the weak things in the
world to shame the mighty. He gives us
gifts and talents to use in service to one another, so we may glorify Him. We are each called and chosen: - to bring the
Good News to all creation, - to care for those in most need - the least of our
brothers and sisters with whom we share our meal of thanksgiving at the table
of Christ’s sacrifice.
When we are given an opportunity to
do God’s will –
- Do not despair in our inability to provide through our own meager means, - trust in the Lord to provide.
- Do not be defeated in doing the will of God by allowing ourselves to be led by Satan into believing in our own inadequacies.
The evil-one blinds us into seeing
only the five loaves and two fish - instead of the abundance provided by God - that
satisfies the hunger of five thousand and has enough left over to feed five
thousand more.
We need to trust in God’s love and
mercy to provide us with all we need to do His will. Our poverty does not impede His Love - which
is endless and in abundance for all - with more left over for future generations
– until the end of time.
~ Amen
Peace,
Deacon Don Ron
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