Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Jn. 6:1-15) “A Gift of The Spirit”
Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Jn. 6:1-15) “A Gift of The Spirit”
“It’s impossible.” How often do we label a hard task as impossible before we ever give it a try?
The story of the multiplication of the loaves is a story that is in all four Gospels. Usually, this is a sign of historicity. All four evangelists agreed that this event happened.
The scene reminds us of two Old Testament events. We read about the first one in the first lesson. The Prophet Elisah feeds a hundred people with 20 barley loaves. And there is bread left over. The second story that we are reminded of happens when God feeds the people of Israel in the Book of Exodus. Manna seems to fall from the sky.
The story of John is peculiar in that in the passage before this one Jesus heals a boy in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was all the way across the country from the Sea of Galilee. But in a few lines, he seems to be transported many miles. A crowd is there with him. We get a sense that crowds formed wherever Jesus was exercising his Galilean ministry. Probably, they were waiting for his next miracle. Would he make a blind man see? Would he help the lame to walk? Would he change the weather. Extraordinary things happened when Jesus was around. Nobody wanted to miss out.
But this large crowd follows Jesus to a deserted place where there isn’t much to eat. Jesus turns to Philip asking how to feed the people. Why? Could it be because Philip was from Bethsaida, which was only a few miles away? Maybe Jesus thought he had friends there who could help but Philip quickly throws up his hands saying, “Not even with six months wages could a man feed such a crowd.”
Andrew who is always bringing people to Jesus shows up with the boy with five small barley loaves and two fish which sounds unimpressive. When we consider what kind of food this was it was even less impressive. Barley loaves were the cheapest kind of bread. The fish were probably pickled. Galilee was known for shipping fish in brine to different parts of the ancient world. The fish would have been like sardines.
Jesus takes these meager elements. He hands them out. He then asks the apostle to gather what is left. We read that there were twelve baskets of remnants. Now these weren’t laundry baskets but small baskets that could be used to transport items. Jesus’ contemporaries would sling such a basket over their shoulder like a purse. But it was still impressive that the twelve apostles had food for the next day from the remnants, food for the journey.
What was Jesus teaching his followers? He teaches them that he will provide. If we run into obstacles in life, especially in our life as a Christian community we have two choices. We can throw up our hands and give up. Or we can react with confidence and energy.
I was reading through the cookbook that was put together by volunteers in our parish. No, I wasn’t reading the recipes, but I was reading from the historical stories that were in the book. I was struck once again by the example of Fr. Culemans. He came to the US over a hundred years ago as a 25-year-old newly ordained priest. He knew few people here. He barely spoke English. His greatest resource was his tremendous faith. His charge was to start a Belgium parish, to build churches.
We can imagine there were a lot of Philips and Andrews around. Fr. Culemans reacted to pessimism with zeal. He started two parishes, one in Rock Island and one in Moline. He built three churches, each one growing in grandeur. The first church was a white clap board church called St. Paul in Rock Island. The second church was a brick church called Sacred Heart that sat behind us on sixteenth street. The third church was the Gothic church we worship in today. The money that was raised was extravagant for the time he lived in, several hundred thousand dollars.
Fr. Culemans asked who could help. We can imagine the congregation stepping up one by one. First the merchants, then the factory workers, then the housewives, even the school children. A world war had just taken place, an economic depression was on the horizon. But the impossible happened. Resources seem to come from nowhere. The church we sit in today was built.
Jesus teaches us by the multiplication of loaves that the only thing that limits us is pessimism. He teaches us that pessimism isn’t a gift of the Holy Spirit, hope is.
Reflection Questions:
1. Have I ever seen the impossible happen? When?
2. Have I ever gotten more than I expected? When?
Dear Parishioners,
Suicide: “How Does the Church Minister to Families?”
Suicide is a delicate subject, and it is a pro-life issue. Assisted suicide is becoming more and more accepted and even legal in some states in our country. Suicide rates constantly are growing. The issue is complex, but the church does have moral norms that can guide us. There is also the pastoral dimension. How do we minister to people who have been touched by suicide?
We will be having a night to reflect on this difficult subject. On August 8th we will be showing a video by Archbishop John Dolan from Phoenix, Arizona. Archbishop Dolan has had several members of his immediate family commit suicide. His presentation is sensitive and personal. His witness shows that even the most faith-filled families can wrestle with this issue.
We also will welcome Kevin and Jamie Atwood who have started a group called Foster’s Voice that supports families touched by suicide. Support groups are very important when families deal with crisis.
Finally, Deacon Mike and I will talk about some of the teachings of the church regarding this topic. Questions will also be taken.
I would encourage everyone to attend this special evening. We will begin at 6:30. The talks will take place in the Damien Center at Sacred Heart Church. The presentations will end at 8 p.m. You can come to listen or come and share what you would like to share. Deacon Mike and I will stay and listen for as long as people need our ears.
May Our Lady of Sorrows pray for us,
Fr. Mark