XVII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
GOD RESPONDS TO OUR DEEPEST HUMAN NEEDS
By our Pastor, Fr. Carmelo Jiménez
We are in the middle of the season of Ordinary Time, and the readings are changing, especially the Gospel, because it changes from the Gospel of Mark to the Gospel of Saint John. We read from chapter 6 and it begins with the discourse on the Bread of Life. The multiplication of the loaves and fishes is the door through which we enter into the meditation on Christ as real food.
In every Holy Mass the bread and wine appear as symbols of the Eucharist. In these signs, the gifts of men (loaves and fishes, bread and wine) are united with the blessing of God, resulting in overabundance, which is the same as life for man united to God in body and spirit.
“A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God, twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits, and fresh grain in the ear… Elisha insisted, ‘Give it to the people to eat. For thus says the LORD, They shall eat and there shall be some left over’” (2 Kgs. 4: 42a. 43b). This story involves two things: that a large group of people is present, who were probably listening to the prophet and second, that it is the bread of the first fruits which is the sacred offering. The reading is clear in saying there were only twenty loaves and there were many more people. But the Prophet ordered it to be distributed among the people. In the Bible we find that the need of the people prevails over the sense of sacred things. The prophet understood that the respect to the people is higher than that of the offerings. In the Gospel we hear how Jesus certifies the prophets’ behavior and He Himself does the same. Always, in all times, the person is a higher value then a rite and the rules. If one does not sincerely promote the good of the people, all resources miss the point.
“Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted” (Jn 6: 11). For those who only look at the facts this event only captures a visible sign. For those who read the Gospel and meditate on it, they realize that this gesture of Jesus brings us to the true significance: Jesus himself is the bread of life whom we need to receive. The gestures are important when they are indicative of broader and deeper realities. Following the example of Jesus, the Church needs to offer to the world meaningful gestures that point to the deepest needs of men. Comparing this fragment of the Gospel with last Sunday’s Gospel: “When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things” (Mk 6: 34), we come to know the motivation and attitudes of Jesus’ ministry is always based on the needs of the people. That motivation comes from Jesus’ love.
The mission of the Church in the world is to announce the message of salvation. But the Church must take great care in providing convincing gestures and acts of communion and solidarity with the people. While being careful to remember that gestures announce something bigger, which is the proclamation of the Gospel in response to the deepest needs of man. Only in God do we find true meaning to our whole existence as human beings. Jesus Christ is the true Bread of Life, we follow Him and we trust in Him. Amen.