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Monday, July 26, 2021

What's in your Basket - Homily 17 Sunday OTB

Praise be Jesus Christ, forever and ever.

Jesus said we are to feed the hungry. Many will protest and say that there is no way I can feed the hungry. I have nothing.

Funny, that’s what Phillip and Andrew said: 

  • “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food is not enough to feed them even a little.”  
  • “What good is five barley loaves and two fish for so many?”

Jesus reminds them by his actions, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”  His example was simple, take what you have, pray over it and offer it to God, and go out to other's with faith.

People who don’t want to believe in Jesus and his miracles will say it’s impossible to feed the large crowd with five barley loaves and two fish because there were about 5000 men.

True, it would have been impossible to feed 5000 men without feeding women, children, and families that were with them. For God all things are possible.

Those who doubt argue surely in a multitude of people others brought food. They simply shared with those around them.

Friends, why is that not a miracle. It may not be as dramatic as feeding the multitude from a child’s sparse basket of bread and fish prepared by his mother; but, it is the miracle of love. The miracle is Christ in that meal.

Christians feed the hungry.

But, scripture tell us, many are not just hungry for food, physical subsistence. They are hungry for spiritual subsistence; hungry for Christ. They are hungry for someone to lead them to a better life.

For those who hunger, we are to share from our own baskets, even if they are sparse.

Live all the miracles that happened when Jesus fed the multitudes. People sharing from what they have with those around them. There is the truth of St. Paul’s words - We are called to the one hope; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

In that truth, we are unable not to share our faith with neighbors, co-workers, friends, and especially family. We share Christ in us. We lead others to Christ; to the truth of what is right and just.

Friends, take what you have, pray over it and offer it to God, and go out to others with faith.

Still people say, there is no way I can feed the hungry. I have nothing.

Yet, when you share from what you have to feed the hungry; even if you have less than a widow’s mite – you bring the riches and rewards of heaven. If you only have 5 barley loaves and 2 fishes – you bring the promise of the heavenly banquet.

If all you see in what you have to share is a broken and sinful self – to others you bring Christ in you..

We are called to feed the hungry - no matter how sparse our basket may be. Pray over it and offer it to God, and go out to others with faith.

From this sharing, there will be an overabundance of faith. “They shall eat and there shall be some left over.”

Through example, we feed the hungry from our baskets. We teach others our faith. We teach others to pray. We teach others to realize miracles, no matter how great or how small present in our lives.

Always lead to Christ. This is the real hunger of the world. .As Catholics lead the hungry to the most divine meal of the most Holy Eucharist, which is the truth of this gospel.  The miracle is the presence of Christ in that meal.

As a Church, a community, followers of Christ; we are called to feed the hungry. Live in a manner worthy of the call you have received.

Be good, be holy, and share your faith by the way you live your life and love one another. Pray about it and do it in faith. 

Sunday, July 4, 2021

God's great, God's good, thank you God - Homily First Friday Mass

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070221.cfm  

Today’s gospel brings to mind my 2 year old grandson’s prayer before meals. It is a prayer of wisdom. “God’s great, God’s good, thank you God. Amen (then he adds) Praise the Lord!” I know Jesus does come to dine at my house with such a great invitation as this.

Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners; so all would know God is great and God is good. Despite their sins, they came to Jesus because they knew God matters.

People seemed to have forgotten that God matters and that what matters to God - matters. A lot of things do not matter; because, they do not matter to God.

These things seem to be fixated upon because people think they matter. Like labels the world puts on us (tax collector or sinful person), labels we put on ourselves (race, gender, sexuality), or things we think important (wealth, power, or possessions).

God made us and we matter to God. God didn’t make the labels that has obsessed many; those don’t matter to God.  To those who complain, Jesus says “Go and learn this, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’”

Knowing the difference between what matters to God and what does not -- requires we know God.

Knowing God is not about intellect. God is not an idea, nor a thought. We cannot know God objectively – He is not the object of our knowledge.

God is known because He is. He is being made known to us as we know another person.

We come to know God as we come to know a person.. We come to know God in time, relationship, and prayerful conversations. And coming to know God is not some great achievement by us; it is a matter of grace and revelation. It is free gift, given in love.

Knowing God does not keep us from knowing other persons. Knowing others is not a distraction from knowing God. Knowing other persons is essential to knowing God because we can only know God to the extent that we love others.

It matters that we know God. God among us, walking with us, and dining with us.

God matters.

Because, to know God is life itself. “This is eternal life—to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one He sent.”

Christ Jesus comes to dine with us, sinners and saints alike.

What matters to God - matters.

God’s great, God’s good, thank you God. Amen -------- Praise the Lord!