18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Isaiah 55: 1-3; Romans 8:35, 37-39; Matthew 14:13-21How much does God care for me? For each person? The normal reaction, unfortunately that creeps in too quickly in so many, is that God does have a deep care BUT there seems to be a hierarchy in who God cares for. There is no evidence in Scripture for this…in fact the opposite is true: God cares for each person, all the time, in a loving and supportive way. The devil has a glorious time in putting this thought in people’s minds, “God is far too busy with all the difficulties that are happening throughout the world to be able to care for me now.”
So why does the devil do this? Why does the devil try to distract each person from an awareness of God’s constant presence and love? If each person realizes the gifts that God constantly blesses us, I and each one would see that we must share from the abundance and fullness we have received. This would make ‘my’ world conscious of being special and loved and this would be like a snowball rolling down the hill…love would be bigger and bigger. That would mean that every day each person would awaken with new opportunities to love. Then the devil’s temptation toward indifference, negativity or hoarding would not be chosen. Still the question continues: do I accept the loving gifts of God and share in gratitude or do I stay with my own importance and selfishness and reject gift sharing? The readings call this into focus for me today.
Isaiah is comforting God’s people who have received so much persecutions and hardships. He says Trust in God as he invites those who are needy: the thirsty, the hungry and the poor, to seek what they need from God. God brought them to the Promised Land, one “flowing with milk and honey” and this promise remains but they are to trust in God’s love and goodness. God provides for all needs. “Regardless of money, they are invited to eat a rich fare and drink wine and milk. The festive banquet is available for those who heed God’s word. They will have life, for God will renew the everlasting covenant made with David.” (Living the Word).
Paul continues this with the beautiful last words of his eighth chapter to the Romans which detail the meaning of living life as a Christian. Even though our lives are filled with suffering, pain and sin, God promises that we will live in a place of glory. JB Phillips translation is so beautiful, “Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, pain or persecution? Can lack of clothes and food, danger to life and limb, the threat of force or arms? …No, in all these things we win an overwhelming victory through Him who has proved His love for us. I have become absolutely convinced that neither death nor life, neither messenger of Heaven nor monarch of earth, neither what happens today nor what my happen tomorrow, neither, a power from on high nor a power from below, nor anything else in God’s whole world has any power to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!” An interesting visual of this is when I observe the people who come to receive the Eucharist. They stand in line: waiting and hoping, hurting and grateful, lonely and lost. Even the babes in arms come up wanting to be touched and loved and God cares for all. God loves all. God fills all. None of them are separated from the love of Christ.
Matthew shares the story of the miraculous feeding of the huge crowd, a miracle that is in all the gospels. But he adds a new twist: this event came after Jesus heard word of John the Baptist’s death. Jesus goes off to a place to be alone and remember His cousin and pray. I have done the same when a special loved one passed. The people want see and hear more from Jesus so they search Him out. What is important in the picture Matthew paints for us is that Jesus is not upset that people were disturbing Him at this very emotional time. Rather on seeing the vast crowd, “His heart was moved with pity for them.” This is a wonderful reflection for me…no matter what I am going through, Jesus has the same heart-filled compassion and love for me. The disciples felt that this was an intrusion and wanted Jesus to tell them to leave. Jesus saw their hunger to be filled and their need to be loved and said “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” Isn’t that a message for me today…what I have, I have received, these are gifts? Do I keep the gifts for myself or do I give them away? The story of the feeding shows what God is capable of doing but it also asks what I am capable of doing. As Living the Word states this week, “As the first reading reminds us in the end only God can quench our thirst and satisfy our hunger. This is echoed in the second reading as well: it is the love of God given to us in Christ that allows us to ‘conquer overwhelmingly’ the challenges that face us in life and in death. This is the miracle and mystery to which all the other miracles point, and which we accept in faith.”
Alice Camille in Exploring the Sunday Reading gives a goal for the gospel miracle for me and each person: “Our meal of love isn’t for the few. It’s for all who are hungry and thirsty, whatever they need and wherever they may be. The multiplication of loaves and fishes tells us there’s always enough to feed the multitudes. We just have to find the resolve to distribute what is given to us to share. Note that Jesus doesn’t serve His disciples so that they may eat. He gives them the blessed and broken loaves so that they might distribute them wider. What we have isn’t for us. What we’re given is a blessed opportunity to satisfy the hunger of the world. What is needed may be our five dollars. Our five minutes. Our benevolent smile. Our second coat. Our forgiveness. Our welcome. Our undivided attention. Our judgment-free compassion.”
And she suggests for reflection:
- “How has your
understanding of Eucharist evolved with the number of times you’ve
approached the Lord’s Table?
- How does the reality of what
we celebrate in the Eucharist bind all of us together, even those
who do not receive it?
- How do you bring the
fragments of Eucharist to others so that nothing may be wasted?”
- To make a list of what is
most important in my life.
- How many people, instead of
things, are on that list?
- Evaluate what this means in
terms of my priorities in life?
“Jesus’ first response upon hearing of the death of John the Baptist was to withdraw to a quiet place. He was able, however, to change His plan to meet the needs of the people.
I pray for the same freedom: to know what I need and to seek it, remaining ready to turn aside to serve the greater good.”
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