Sunday August 2nd 2020: Read Br Michael’s Gospel Reflection The Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
When a little is enough
The gospel today begins with Jesus hearing the news that John the Baptist has been killed. He goes to a lonely place where he can be by himself. He simply needs to time and space so that he can think and pray. There is something very ordinary and human about Jesus’ response. He simply needs to grieve. Perhaps we can hold in prayers today all those who have died because of Covid 19 and especially their families who are feeling and experiencing the pain of loss and bereavement.
While Jesus is alone the crowds follow and find him. He is not so wrapped up in himself that he does not see their need; he took pity on them and healed their sick. However there is a problem; it’s evening and they are all hungry! The disciples suggest that the crowd is sent away so that they can buy food. Jesus has another idea; why don’t the disciples feed the crowd themselves! How? All they have are a few meagre loaves and fish. Jesus is not put off by this. He takes what they have; he blesses the bread and fish, breaks and shares them. Everyone has more than enough to eat with plenty left over!
This clearly has overtones of the Eucharist. At mass we offer our meagre offering of bread and wine; fruit of the earth and work of hands. They are accepted, blessed transformed, broken and shared; then they are given back to us. As well as offering bread and wine, God also asks us to offer ourselves and our daily lives. Our response might like that of the disciples… we only have, we have so little or what could I possibly offer God? Whatever we have and offer, no matter how small we believe it to be, God will accept, bless, transform and offer it back to us in way that we could not possibly imagine. If we offer God the ordinary bits and piece of our lives, they and we ourselves will be transformed by God’s love for us. Just as we are fed and nourished through the Eucharist, each of us called to go to love and serve the Lord by loving and serving each other as best we can.
As the bread and wine are transformed during mass, so too are we. As we leave the church it becomes our responsibility to become agents of change to make our families, communities and society better places for everyone.
– Br Michael Moore OMI
| Gospel of Sunday August 2nd: Matthew 14:13-21 © |
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The feeding of the five thousand
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