Brothers and Sisters,

 

We have been on the road with Jesus and his disciples for seven weeks through the Gospel of Mathew. The following is what we have learned so far about being his disciples. We are sent into the world with a positive attitude of gathering people into God’s Kingdom – for a rich harvest, Jesus said. To this end, we are to nurture a blessing attitude and cultivate virtues of hospitality, fidelity, humility, gentleness, and patience. Last week, we heard the call to discover and rediscover the presence of God deep within us – the treasure at the depth of our being, the pearl of hidden beauty held within earthen vessels.

 

Today, on this Eighteenth Sunday in ordinary time, the Gospel reading  tells us a wonderful story of compassion and generosity. It is a story that carries much for our reflection and prayer (Mathew 14:13-21). Jesus, who continued to feed those who followed him with God’s truth, became aware of their physical hunger and attended to that need as well. He showed that it was important to recognize and meet those urgent and down-to-earth needs. Jesus cared for the whole person and called his disciples to do the same. The physical hunger became a channel of recognizing the deeper hunger for God and God’s way.

 

Jesus called the disciples to feed the hungry with whatever was available and showed them that there is always abundance in giving and sharing. Generosity generates abundance!  All they had was  five loaves and two fish. In the hands of the Lord the little became abundance! There was not only enough for all, but there was enough left over to fill twelve wicker baskets…. there was an overflowing, an abundance - God’s abundance! The Gospel of John tells us that it was a boy who gave the five loaves and two fish. How inspiring it is that a little boy was able to part with the little bread and fish that he had!!!

 

Most of us know the Gospel story of the poor widow putting in two of the smallest coins, available in her country at that time, into collection box of the temple treasury. Jesus remarked that her gift was more than what many rich people had given, since she gave all that she had to live on. The poor widow is held out to us as an example to follow.

 

Little food from a little boy and a small coin from a widow became abundance in the hands of the Lord. There are no gifts that are too small or without value. Even our small gifts make a difference. It is not the size of the gift that matters, but the generosity with which it is given.

St. Paul encouraged the Corinthian community to be generous with all of God’s gifts as a sign of gratitude and confidence in God’s watchful care (2 Corinthians 9:6-10).  Generosity will become fruitful in abundance. Generosity generates generosity and the lack of it generates emptiness!!! God will provide in abundance! May our lives reflect the generosity of our God! 

 

To read more of these reflections, please click on the link below…