Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand



July 26^th,17^th  Sunday Homily :Fr.Francis Chirackal CMI,

2Kings 4:42-44, Eph 4:1-6, Jn 6:1-15

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Msgr Arthur Tonne says a funny story on today’s gospel lesson. A village farmer stopped at a restaurant in the nearby town and sat near a group of young fellows, who were acting up, shouting at the cook and heckling the waitress. When his meal was set before him, the old farmer bowed his head to offer a prayer. Thinking to have some fun with the old farmer, one of them shouted in a loud voice that could be heard by everyone, “Hey, Pop, does everyone do this where you come from?”  Calmly the old man turned towards the lad with an innocent smile and replied in an equally loud voice: “No son, our pigs don’t.”  Today’s gospel, tells us that before feeding the five thousand, Jesus took the loaves of bread, gave thanks to God his Father and distributed them.  It became more than they could eat.

The first reading tells us how the prophet Elisha, by invoking God’s power, fed one hundred hungry men with twenty barley loaves. This miracle, and Jesus feeding the five thousand, in essence says that God was producing more than the powers of nature could produce of themselves, and God is concerned of every need of us, his children.   Today’s  psalm tells us: “The hand of the Lord feeds us; God answers all our needs.”   In the second reading, St. Paul reminds how Jesus united the Jews and the Gentiles, bringing them together as Christians in one faith and one baptism. He asks us to show ourselves worthy of our Christian vocation, worthy of the privilege Christ has won for us, namely adopted sonship with God.  Hence, he advises them to keep this unity intact as one body and one spirit by living as true Christians, “bearing with one another through love,” in humility, gentleness, patience and peace.

 The miraculous feeding of the five thousand people by Jesus, described in today’s gospel, is also given in the three other gospels. The motive behind this miracle is well understood as God’s pity and compassion toward his children, especially who seek Him. It also prepared the minds of the multitude, for the discourse on the heavenly food which he would make, though those who were only for earthly food left him, when He spoke of the heavenly food he was going to give.

Another aspect of this miracle is, that here God meets the needs of the people through the services provided by the members of the community. The Gospel story should be treated as a witness to the power of God and an implicit declaration of Jesus’ divinity. We may regard the incident both as a miracle of divine providence, and also as a messianic sign, in which Jesus multiplied loaves and fish in order to feed his hungry listeners.  The lesson for every Christian is that, no matter how impossible his or her assignments may seem, with divine help they can be done because "nothing is impossible with God". Once God entrusts certain tasks, He will also give us necessary grace and strength. Our role is only to follow what God tells us to do. If we are true to God in our daily lives, he will find ways and means of freeing us from difficulties, which would otherwise overcome us.

Today’s readings tell us that God really cares about His people and that there is enough, and more than enough, for everybody if we live a life of love and sharing under God’s grace. The detail about the boy who was willing to share his five loaves and two fish is a beautiful and meaningful image. That boy was from as poor family, as barley bread was the food of the poor people. We do not need great things to share with others. Whatever we have is good enough to share with, in needy situations. It is not the quality or quantity of the things we have, but the quality and quantity of the attitude we form and we have in ourselves.  In other words we need to commit ourselves to share what we have with others, and to work with God in communicating his compassion to all.

 Whatever we offer through Jesus will have a life-giving effect in those who receive it. All of us have at least one gift from the Holy Spirit.  .This is our one “tiny fish”.  Perhaps “our fish” is not money, but it is the talent or an ability that God gave us.  Let us offer ourselves and whatever we have to God saying, “Here is what I have Lord; use it.”   And He will bless it and multiply it beyond our expectations.  When we give what we have to God, and we ask Him to bless it, it is then the miracle happens.  With God everything is possible, even the pains become sweet and sorrows the joyful experience. God bless you