18TH SUNDAY
OF THE YEAR, YEAR A 2014
Isaiah 55:1-3
Romans 8:35, 37-39
Matthew 14:13-21
During the World Youth gathering in Los
Angeles in 1987 Tony Melendez played the guitar and same the song Never be the Same in the presence of
Pope St. John Paul II. That event not have been extraordinary other than Tony
Melendez was born without any arms. But he was also born with the gift for
music, so he developed that gift in a unique way. He plays the guitar with his feet. He started
with a push-button organ and moved to the guitar and the harmonica. And he has
shared his gift of music in concerts throughout the world. He continues to give
his hope to all persons, especially those who have disabilities.
Like Tony Melendez Isaiah in our first
reading today tells us that what God has to offer is free. There is no cost --
not even a hidden cost. We can't pay anything for what God has to offer us even
if we want to pay. Forgiveness is free. God’s love is free. What God has to
offer is beyond our imagining. What God
has to offer is satisfying. Despite the
graciousness of God we let things get between us and Him. Perhaps we should
begin to see the extraordinary within the ordinary and see that even though we
keep sinning, God keeps on forgiving. This is extraordinary.
We live in a society that sometimes
chooses material things over human beings. Some children have so many toys or
clothes or options that they get confused and hyper trying to make choices. We
often think that a car, a cell phone, a computer, a good salary, of being a top
student or athlete will make us totally happy. But we soon find out that
happiness comes from none of these.
Our first reading today sounds as if we
were invited to a summer picnic. We are told today by Isaiah that God has
already given us everything to make us happy. God says: ALL YOU WHO ARE THIRSTY
COME TO THE WATER. YOU WHO HAVE NO MONEY, COME WITHOUT PAYING AND WITHOUT
COST. WHY SPEND YOUR MONEY FOR WHAT IS
NOT BREAD; YOUR WAGES FOR WHAT FAILS TO SATISFY?
The
experience of hunger, poverty, sickness and death can make it seem as if God
has forgotten us. But in all of these
God continues to love and protect.
Right
now God gives us everything we need for happiness. Why don't we know it and
feel it? Because we are looking off in
the distance rather than within ourselves in our heart and spirit. Happiness does not come in going on a
shopping spree or drinking spree, but in taking a new look at what we already
have -- even if it might be hunger, sickness, loneliness, misunderstandings,
anxiety. Religion or faith does not take
away our problems; but a strong faith shows us a new way to see things, not a
new way to obtain things.
In our Gospel selection for today Jesus gives
us an example of this. The friends of
Jesus did not have very much going for
them. Five loaves and a few fish is all they have to feed a crowd. They are
hungry. His heart goes out to them with pity. His friends suggested that he
send the hungry crowds away so that they could buy some food. They wondered why
he bothered with them. Assuring His disciples that there was no need to send
the people away, Jesus told them to ''give them some food yourselves.''
Needless to say, they were astonished. Jesus took their food, ''and looking up
to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the
disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.''
This
feeding takes place in our life every day if we only believed it did. If he did
it for the crowds of 2000 years ago why wouldn't he do it for us today? God wants happiness for us just as he did for
those of the Gospel story. This happiness and generosity comes about with the
help of caring persons, Tony Melendez, who threw away his artificial arms at
the age of 10 and took advantage of his feet and toes. .
We
need someone who will be able to bring the bread of Eucharist to persons to
help them to be bread for everyone. We need committed lay persons, committed
families. But we also need young men and
woman who will make it their lifetime commitment to be available to serve the
needs of both the bread givers and the Eucharistic bread receivers. That is why that today some men and women
still offer their lives to serve others as missionaries.
Jesus gave to the disciples, and the
disciples gave to others. And today we still receive and give. What God has to
give is always satisfying. Not only is it satisfying, but is always free. God
is so generous that there is always more than is necessary. And there is still
more. We might have to sacrifice some current values and earthly things, but
what God offers is well worth the price. God stays with us always remaining
with us not for just an hour, not for just a day, not for just a year, but
always! But I leave you with a few
questions:
What do you suppose the disciples did with the 12 baskets
of left-overs? What do you do with my
left-overs?
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