Gospel Light
(08-02-2008)
I started a healthy diet this past week—affirmed by my doctors—focus is on what I really need to eat versus what I have conditioned myself to what I want to eat. Up until that so called golden age, I never had to worry that much about what I ate or how much—and I wasn’t much of a comfort food junkie.
But I’ve packed on a whole lot of comfort lately, or I’ve got a very serious problem with water retention! Right.
It is interesting how we are programmed for food in our nation-what we are programmed to want, versus what we really need to be healthy. In a report I read a while ago, I learned that American portions at dinner have doubled in the past 20 years—even dinner plates—are larger, bowls bigger and deeper. We are conditioning ourselves to eat more, convinced that more is better.
Health has to be a part of our life plan with the Lord; he wants us healthy to help in the vineyard—it is a part of good stewardship—care of ourselves and not wasting creation by excessive consumption—but share what is needed.
I was thinking about those thousands of people Jesus fed in our gospel for today. Can you imagine if we Californians were with Jesus back in the days of the fish and loaves miracle? Imagine, following him with the way we have been conditioned to eat.
“No thanks, Jesus, I had fish for lunch, —do you have any flavored olive oil for dipping the pita bread?”
“No thanks, Matthew, I’m a vegan—only raw veggies—nothing killed by pulling at their roots, I am very sensitive and can hear the carrots screaming!”
“Bread, no thanks, I’m on low carbs.”
“No thanks Thomas, do you have any bottled water—preferably flat not sparkling—slice of lemon?”
“Which sauce is served with the fish?”
“Excuse me, Luke, do you know if this is wild fish or did Jesus get it from a fish farm?”
Can you imagine how much food would have been left over? Doggy bag please.
Jesus provided plenty of food and drink for those who followed him that day. However, he knew it was more than food that the people needed.
The people were hungry for HOPE IN GOD. They were subjugated to pagan Rome and treated as lesser human beings. A Roman could not be crucified, but a Jew certainly could. The people held onto their ancient Hebrew faith, but their religion had been turned into a list of taboos by the scribes and Pharisees. The people were hungry for meaning to life—the presence of God—they had spiritual hunger.
As we hear in Matthew’s Gospel, many of the Jews need for the spiritual was awakened by John the Baptist. Now, he had been murdered by Herod. Once again, the people felt abandoned. They heard about a new teacher from Nazareth, Jesus. They came flocking to him still hungering for hope in God.
We do the same. However, some of us have doubts about our own spirituality from time to time. We might question ourselves, “I am not good enough to speak of spiritual things, about my faith—to be holy for my children, — my spouse, —my neighbors, —my friends, —my parish.-—After all, I am a sinful,—I don’t want to come off like some holier than thou person”.
But Jesus provides. He fulfills what we hear God promise in our reading from Isaiah this weekend: Come to me heedfully, listen that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David.”(Isaiah 55:3.
And in Jesus’ literal feeding of the multitudes in Matthew’s Gospel for Sunday, he gives us an example of what those benefits assured to David are: God’s abundant grace for those who believe, keep faith and care for one another—will be multiplied—to excess! The Lord’s example of feeding tells us: “Take what I have given you, and feed my people. From the abundance you have received.”
Jesus calls us to feed literally and spiritually those who are in need. And we know how to do both. We consume more than we need and have the ability to end physical hunger. We have the graces to share our faith and help those who have spiritual hunger. BUT, we must exercise sharing BOTH. Every one of us has been gifted with a reservoir of spirituality. The Grace of God is within all of us.
We come to Mass to restore and replenish from the reservoir of the Lord’s Grace, in our union with one another and Him. We come to reverence, to turn to the Lord and be refueled — and he turns us right back around to go and do the same for others. The Lord wants us to share who he is to us —with everyone in our lives—everyday of our lives. And you can count on the fact that he will give us lots of opportunities to do so. What a healthy regime to live—what we need and want.
Share, Fr. Gordon
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