Gospel Reflections for July 26 2015
Jesus sees what we often miss.
In today’s Gospel Our Lord stands speaks to a crowd of several thousand people who have come to hear Him. But they are soon hungry and there is not enough food within easy reach to eat. The Gospel indicates that the Apostles not only notice who doesn’t have food …they quickly notice who does.
When people experience a shortage of something they can develop a well-trained eye to notice those who have a lot, like the boy in the Gospel who alone has food. I am sure the crowd looked hungrily at his lunch and perhaps with envy as well.
Perhaps the boy held on a little tighter to his two loaves and fish! While it is perfectly okay to admire another’s good fortune, sometimes wanting what another person has can lead to envy and possibly even worse behavior. Jesus notices both the crowd’s hunger but also the precarious position of the young boy. Perhaps Jesus heard people grumbling about wanting that bread. Unless Jesus acted quickly, the crowd might do something drastic.
If the problem is scarcity of food, Jesus will not only multiply bread, He will give them so much they won’t know what to do with it all!
This is a true miracle and not simply Jesus inviting people to share their own food that they might have already had. The Gospel would have indicated an invitation to share if that were the case, as the Gospels describe Jesus doing in several other passages. Sharing the food they already brought would also not explain how there was so much more food produced than the crowd would have normally already had.
Jesus does something very deep and meaningful here with this miracle about the impact of abundance. It is an abundance that only He can provide.
This Gospel invites us to have a “spirit of abundant grace” that can only come from Him. Having “more” than we need creates a sense of peace with each other. No need to covet what another has if we feel we are already full.
That spirit of abundant grace can color the way we look at our present circumstances as well. We may not have a lot of things, or resources, or much of anything, but we can be filled with an abundance of God’s grace that places us at peace with each other. Then Jesus sees what we often miss: that we already have a lot!
God Bless,
Fr. Dave
Some years ago my next door neighbor and I, with our spouses, were enjoying a weekend away from home. We had some wine, which he referred to as “a great plenty.” I said it was an ample sufficiency, any more would be a superfluous redundancy.
As you say, it is a happy day when there is an abundance. There is no temptation to envy that which another person has. But when we are hungry the temptation is there. Perhaps therein lies an important value of fasting–to strengthen our resistance to envy, under controlled circumstances.
Thank you for pointing out that the abundance described in the Gospel could only have been a miracle since although the boy had some loaves and fishes, much more was required than he could possibly have carried. Even if many in the crowd brought lunches, it would not explain the large amount left over.
I am amazed and thankful that the Gospel teaches us in such ways how Christ’s message can make us better people.
Yes, this was a true miracle, and a lesson much needed for today.
The WORD of God is a powerful tool as God’s love for us was revealed when He sent his only Son into the world, so that we could have life through Him.
In my life journey I meet people I do not know and I believe there is a purpose, just like the boy who brought five loaves and fishes that was intended for his journey and not for the crowd. The boy’s presence in the crowd was a calling from God that he pass by trusting God and that something good will happen.
I was once just like the boy in this picture who at one time I was walking my dog in the neighborhood I met a guy whom I thought he just moved in and I greeted him Hello how are you, did you just moved-in? He replied with a sad voice feeling angry and said, what are you saying, I am moving out. I immediately apologized, paused and said a short prayer, “Lord help us, help me to tell him your message”. Then, I asked him if we could pray together and he responded yes.
After the short prayer he continued to relate his problem and I listened. He said, I am moving out because I lost my job, and my wife just left me with our child, I had a traffic violation and charged DUI and now I am in a mess. I consoled him saying he is a special person- God loves you and He has a plan for you and everything will be okay. I asked him to talk to our pastor and his parents and not do anything bad. We parted ways and he was very thankful and promise to move on..
This short encounter I had strengthened my faith in God, and that His grace is sufficient to fill in my needs. and that I cannot do anything good without Him. “Continue Oh Lord to use me according to your purpose.”
Thank you Fr Dave for the reflection and that there is “the spirit of abundant grace” that is sufficient for each one of us in every situation. We praise and thank the Lord!
God bless you and your Ministry, Fr Dave!
Roy and Adele Vargas
Beautiful story! Thank you sharing it. You were in the right place at the right time, and had the right words to say. Offering to say a prayer with this person was especially helpful. Well done!
Father Dave, Love your beautiful insight of having the spirit of abundant grace from our Jesus will color our lives to see the beauty in it and we will experience peace!! !Jesus will shower us with His grace in abundance if we pray for that healing,grace for ourselves, for our families, for our friends, for our world!!! Then we will color the world so beautifully with Jesus’ LOVE as you so lovingly do!!! You are a precious blessing to us!!!
With love, Franca and Dick
Yes, well said!
Very well written…..wrist remember the abundant love Jesus has for us. Thank you Father Dave!
His love is a message we must remember every day.
Fr. Dave,
Concur with your findings of fulfillment gained from the “spirit of abundant grace”. I find it becomes doubly potent when you couple it with the spirit and grace of “gratitude”.
PS: On a personal note, I was hoping and praying you would be one of three receiving the “portent call” from the papal nuncio this past week. Induditedly, in my opinion (and ostensibly that of many more admirers and followers), you would make an excellent shephard. May you continue to prosper in all that you, and everywhere you go!
With deep esteem, Joe G.
thanks for the vote of confidence! One of the necessary qualities for a Bishop here is the ability to speak Spanish. I am not even close!
It seems that our priorities change as we encounter the Lord.
When we are full, what can equal what He has to offer?
Yes, well said.