HOMILY FOR THE 18TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A (Aug. 6, 2023)
1. Three ideas from the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish.
In today’s 18th Sunday in Ordinary time Year A Gospel, we witness Jesus, who, upon learning about the death of John the Baptist, goes to a quiet place by himself. He is feeling the sadness of losing his cousin, whom he knew and loved from a young age. At the same time, he takes time to pray for him.
- This passage demonstrates that God empathizes with our sorrow when we lose someone we love. He can relate to our feelings of grief. Additionally, He teaches us how to present our grief to God and then strive to continue living without being consumed by our sorrow, remembering the importance of being there for others.
- And that is what Our Lord did: His heart was moved with pity for those who followed him on foot from their towns, he cured their sick till the evening. And he didn’t stop with these portentous deeds. He reacted with compassion (latin: cum-patire, to suffer with). He didn’t just feel sorry with the suffering of others, but he suffered with them to the point of taking their sufferings upon Himself.
- That is why, contrary to what the Apostles’ suggestion to dismiss the crowds and buy food for themselves, Jesus, who surely was tired after a long day’s work of attending to the needy, performed another miracle from the generosity of a little boy —according to St. Luke— who had five loaves and two fish, feeding five thousand men, not counting women and children, who remained satisfied such that there was an abundance of twelve baskets full of leftovers.
2. What does Our Lord wish to teach us with the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish?
- The multiplication of the loaves and fish is an anticipation of the Holy Eucharist where Our Lord out of love gives Himself abundantly.
- This abundant love could be seen in the 1st and 2nd readings of today’s Mass wherein we were reminded by Our Lord’s words: Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant…neither death, nor life, …[nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- This should lead us to thank Our Lord for the gift of His Love and of himself in the Holy Eucharist. At the same time, our gratitude and love for Our Lord should be manifested in the way we give priority to attending Sunday Mass every week with the best dispositions because it is in the Holy Eucharist where Our Lord nourishes us with His Body and gives us his Life to us and transforms us to be other Christs: Christ for others.
- Lord, am I putting the means to be Christ for others?
- A lot of people in the world are suffering today and as Christians, we could ask ourselves if we have Christ’s love and compassion for those who suffer.
- “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.” ― Teresa of Avila
- We are now Christ’s body, hands, feet: heart. Are we showing Christ’s compassion to those who suffer? Perhaps one could say: Father, I’m suffering as well, what could I do to help others?
- A lot of people in the world are suffering today and as Christians, we could ask ourselves if we have Christ’s love and compassion for those who suffer.
- THE MIRACLE WAS CARRIED OUT WITH THE GENEROSITY OF A LITTLE BOY WHO GAVE HIS FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISH.
- With this, OUR LORD WANTS TO REMIND US TODAY OF THE GREAT VALUE OF LITTLE THINGS IN OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE, IN OUR VOCATION TO HOLINESS. From the human viewpoint, the resources at hand were absolutely insufficient. But God has the power to turn them, as we said, in something exceedingly abundant! And it all started with just that: something little!
- The little things we could do and give out of love are the start of something big which God makes use of to do wonders.
- MAY WE ALSO PUT OUR GRAIN OF SAND, BRING HIM OUR “LOAVES AND FISH” SO THAT GOD MAY MAKE USE OF THE LITTLE THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WONDERS FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS. With God’s grace, countless men and women will experience through us, God’s presence, help and consolation in the midst of the world
Dear brethren in Christ, God is truly present in the Holy Eucharist, but not only there: He is also in those who suffer —the sick, the grieving, the poor— and in those who alleviate with their self-giving and service to the suffering, being other Christs for them.
- Let us correspond to God’s abundant love in the Holy Eucharist. Love is with love repaid.
- And with the help of God’s grace, let us be like Christ for others, by helping those in need with “our own limited resources,” but convinced that God can work miracles with even the smallest contributions we offer.
Mother Mary, Help of Christians, pray for those who are sick, suffering and dying. Pray for us.
A Blessed Sunday and week ahead! Fr. Rolly Arjonillo
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