Dear Friends,
From the observation of the ways in which things are appreciated in the world, it appears that people are more attracted by satisfaction they acquire from life the way it is. Comfort, tranquility, satisfaction, all these are expected in the present life through worldly means. That is why in so many instances success and fulfillment are just seen and measured by how much one possesses.
In today’s gospel reading, the crowd that followed Jesus has the same attitude. They followed him “because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.” Sickness is not to be limited to bodily injury or discomfort. Today the gospel adds the reality of spiritual sickness, and this is the worst our world suffers from today. The world is spiritually sick and empty. We need Christ to heal us and to make us whole again. It is precisely and particularly through the celebration of sacraments that Christ, our divine physician, remains and continues the ministry of healing. In and through the sacraments Christ continues to be present to and in the world to heal us from our infirmities. In them, and particularly through the Eucharist, Christ offers us the medicine of immortality, to use the words of Saint. Ignatius of Antioch.
Our response to the gift of Christ in the sacraments is the one of humility and devotion. When we confess first our unworthiness to receive Him, He tells us that He draws us to him not because we are worthy but because of His love for us, seeking to heal us and to make us partaker of the abundant life He has is fulness. The multiplication of bread in today’s gospel is a call to look at the Eucharist through new lenses, where we receive Him, who breaks himself into pieces to feed us for eternal life. From the little that is given Him, Christ multiply abundance of blessings and graces to strengthen those who are sick and tired, enabling them to revive in order to continue to bear witness. Saint Paul reminds us of the implications of this encounter with Christ in the second reading. He urges us to live in a manner worthy of the call we have received: life of humility, gentleness, patience, and most of all bearing one another through love. All these work towards unity within the family of God’s children.
Like the disciples in the gospels, we may also ask, “how can this be possible?” We ask this question because most of the time we think of ourselves as being independent and self-sufficient actors. Christ invites us to bring the little we have to Him; He will take care of it and multiply. The example of the small boy with five barley loaves and two fish is sufficient enough to convince us. While the disciples assume that these are not good for so many, Christ commends them to bring them to Him. The boy gave all he has and was, and this made the difference. We are invited to surrender and Christ perform His signs with each individuals. As we partake of His body and blood, He transforms us and enables us to be the difference and the change He wants us to be in the world. And indeed success will no longer be seen as a function of how much we have; rather it will be the result of our trust in Christ and willingness to offer Him our humble availability.
As we gather today to experience the Eucharistic miracle in which Christ feeds us with His body and blood to strengthen us on the journey of life and discipleship, let us continue to pray for one another and for our parish family.
Fr. Emery