Word to the Wise
Monday, August 7, 2017 - Monday in the 18th Week in Ordinary Time
[Num 11:4b-15 and Matt 14:13-21 or, in Year A, Matt 14:22-36,1031]"There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves." But they said to him, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have here." Then he said, "Bring them here to me." [Matthew]
The early Christian community found much to consider in the story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. The community for which the evangelist Matthew wrote his portrait of Jesus was strongly Jewish in background and would have found much in this story to parallel the story of Moses interceding with God to provide manna and quail in the desert. Jesus withdraws to a deserted place and the crowds follow him. They are hungry and the disciples are worried about feeding them. Jesus challenges them to feed the crowd and the disciples reply that their resources are meager, to say the least. Jesus tells them to bring the loaves and fish to him. Jesus blesses the bread, breaks it and somehow it becomes sufficient.
The eucharistic "overtones" are quite strong here. I think of this story whenever I see one of those papal Masses in a stadium where priests and deacons fan out into a crowd of thousands to give communion! There is another element as well which the first scripture from the Book of Numbers as well as the gospel scripture today illustrate. Moses expresses frustration and exasperation with the demands of the Israelites and with God for putting him in the role of a leader! The disciples express dismay that Jesus would have them feed thousands with five loaves and two fish! I find the words, "Bring them here to me," to be the most important. When I have been faced in my pastoral experience with challenges I felt were too big for my meager talents, I could only say to the Lord, "You are going to have to weigh in on this because I don't know what to do!" The Lord does find a way. It's not just a matter of satisfying our hunger but also of finding a way to feed others. AMEN