Scripture: 1ST Reading: 2 Kings 4:42-44
2nd Reading: Ephesians 4: 1-6
Gospel: John 6: 1-15
Most everyone knows the story of the multiplication of the loaves of bread and a couple fish to feed five thousand people on a hillside, where they gathered to hear Jesus speak. Jesus received the five loaves and the two fish from a boy, he gave thanks and distributed the bread and as much fish as they wanted.
This was an amazing thing that happened on the side of that mountain, and what we experience at every Mass is just as amazing, “The Eucharist”, the height of God’s abundance to us, giving us his only begotten Son in this Eucharist, the real presence of Jesus among us; just as real as the presence of Jesus when he gave out five ;loaves and two fish to feed five thousand people sitting on a hillside.
So you probably think that I am going to talk about the Eucharist and in a way I am because I am going to talk about God’s abundance offered to us. God does not offer His abundance for us to perform miracles like Elisha and Jesus, which we heard about in our readings today but perhaps that is as it should be.
In a world where there is so much need, we do have a great deal to give. It may not seem like much to us but when it is shared it becomes more than we could ever imagine. The miracles worked by Elisha and Jesus needed someone to come along and offer what they had. God still needs us to do the same and still guarantees that if we do, things will happen, let alone how it changes our hearts.
It is hard to talk about abundance in light of the economic challenges we, as a global community, are facing right now. I am sure we are well aware of the global problems of widespread hunger, access to clean water, lack of adequate shelter, and access to basic medical care. And most of us know of friends, neighbors, family members, and even our selves who have been affected by rising unemployment, market instability, and shrinking retirement funds.
Perhaps it is a lot easier right now, in light of all the injustice we see, to focus on a feeling of scarcity, a feeling of insecurity, perhaps the tendency to hold on to what we have lest we lose it. I am willing to bet that we all have experienced these feelings at one time or another.
Perhaps our feeling of scarcity was due to lack of money: “If I could just afford those house payments”, If I could gather up enough energy to finish a specific task, or to continue in a career path where I have no fear of layoff. If I could just get that report written. If I could just retire. If I could just finish this homily. Perhaps it was a lack of time with a loved one who was dying; life does seem short at times.
If experiences of scarcity are a real part of the human experience, how do we, as a people of faith, proclaim a God of abundance? And what does the miracles we heard about today have to do with this anyway?
The meaning that comes from our first reading is this: Everyday, not just when we see wonders, human life is sustained because of human generosity linked to God’s abundant mercy. Elisha walked with God and relied on him to fill the void where there was little, knowing of God’s abundant mercy for his people. We also see this in the gospel reading today from John.
Let’s go back in time for a moment. Just imagine that you are a part of a crowd of five thousand people. You are wondering about this Jesus who has been teaching, wondering who he is, why he’s here, wondering if the rumors that he can heal the sick are true, wondering if what he teaches will affect you. After all, you are a person of no real consequence or influential power, in the eyes of the Roman Empire. You might not be the poorest of the poor, but neither are you rich. You have just followed along with this crowd out of curiosity.
Imagine you stop on a hillside as the moving crowd slows. The grass is slightly dewy and soft beneath your sandaled feet. The heat of midday approaches and your belly begins too rumble with hunger. So, you pull out the food you have brought with you; Two small fish, perhaps caught in the Sea of Galilee and prepared this morning, and five bite-sized loaves of barley bread, perhaps kneaded, baked, and wrapped up in the early hours of dawn.
Just as you are about to eat, you look around you and realize that no one near you has brought food with them. For a moment you think about sharing your meal with those close by you but are hesitant because there is not enough to go around. In the next moment, you consider hiding the food you have brought, planning to save it until the crowd disperses and you are once again alone.
But just as that thought passes through your mind, you realize it is too late. One of Jesus’ friends is walking towards you. As he makes his way to you, he encourages the crowd to sit down and get comfortable. He asks for your two fish and five barley loaves and you give it to him. Your not really sure if you want to give up your lunch but perhaps you are also curious as to what he is going to do with your small amount of food. So, you sit down with the rest of the crowd and wait.
“Well, there goes my lunch” you think. But just as you think it, someone’s gasp gets your attention. You look around and realize that what was once just enough food for you has now become enough to feed five thousand people. And soon you too will be partaking of this miraculous feast.
Now that you have eaten all you could want, you look around and realize that not only has everyone had their fill, but Jesus’ friends have been able to collect twelve baskets of leftovers; enough food to be filled for another day, all from just two little fish and five barley loaves of bread.
The story of the feeding of the five thousand is a story of abundance. It is a story of miraculous transformation. What was small and seemingly scarce is transformed into a sufficient amount and then some. What was brought to serve the need of one was transformed into a bounteous feast for the multitude.
The everyday elements of bread and fish were multiplied, expanded, and transformed by the grace of God. Not only were their bellies filled, but hearts were filled too; filled with awe, filled with wonder, filled with faith, filled with hope. This is what I hope you feel about the Mass.
Those people in this story, who at first glance saw scarcity as their reality, were invited to taste, savor, and chew on abundance, the abundant love of God who invites us to feats as we are, even on the side of a hill. The abundant grace of God who perceives our longings and our hunger pangs and responds with his lavish mercy. The presence of God who knows our fears and responds with a gentle embrace and encourages us to share this embrace in our communities, to share this embrace with each other.
Let us be gentle with ourselves and let’s not get down on ourselves in those moments when proclaiming God’s abundance is harder than others. When we give what we have, when we share it with others, let God do the rest for he will multiply our gift, our abundance so that others will be satisfied, so that others will be fed.
When we are in the middle of hard times, when scarcity seems more real than any kind of abundance, that’s when we need to recall Jesus’ compassionate invitation to the feast of God’s grace, that when we need to imagine ourselves giving what we have, small as it might seem, we turn ourselves over to God who can transform even two little fish and loaves of bread into subsidence for the multitude.
If we can trust enough to let God’s transforming love fill us, we will be amazed and we will be filled with enough abundance to share with others.