Sunday Gospel Reflection
They took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over

Introduction:

Spiritual anorexia seems to be a plague in our western world. People are choosing to starve themselves because they choose not to eat. Though we are surrounded by opportunities to feast spiritually and to have our hunger filled, many continually choose to abstain and waste away, committing spiritual suicide a day at a time. Contrasted with this spiritual anorexia is the spiritual abundance that many of us experience. We have found in Christ, the Bread of Life, true nourishment indeed. We know both him who satisfies the hungry soul, and how people can come to him and partake of the Bread of Life. Yet, how do we respond to the spiritual anorexia which surrounds us?

The Church is faced with two enigmas of great magnitude. First how do we create a desire within the hearts and minds of people for spiritual food? As we know the number of people in this country who claim to be Catholic Christians is in the sixty millions, yet, only a small portion of them attend Mass on a regular basis and even fewer avail themselves of the opportunities their parish provides to grow.

Second, how do we respond to the multitudes hungry for spiritual food and insure that they are fed? The Gospel passage in today's readings provides an analogy from which we can learn our responsibility. One choice we have is that we can choose to ignore the problem and hope that those who are starving will go away, so that our meal and comfort is not disturbed. This choice requires us to suppress our compassion, the compassion that naturally resides in us as temples of Christ the compassionate healer, and instead communicate that "it is every man for himself." A second choice is to feel compassion for those who are hungering and thirsting for life giving spiritual food, but become so overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem that we are immobilized by inaction, leaving the problem for others. The better solution is seen within the disciples' experience.

We should not only feel compassion but be moved to be compassionate. We should take the situation to Jesus in prayer, and make ourselves available to be used by him to feed the multitudes.Though there were seemingly little resources available, the disciples shared what they had, and God multiplied the impact. This is a critical principle of ministry: when we lovingly and obediently invest the little resources and gifts we have, Jesus multiplies the return on our investment. You may not know a lot of information and/or techniques for resolving these two enigmas, but if you know him and will share your experience of him and his love, with those who are hungering, God will use you to bring nourishment to some. Jesus' invitation is seen both in His statement, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst," and in this week's passage from Isaiah: "Hearken diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delightyourselves in fatness. Incline your ear, and come to me;hear, that your soul may live."

First Reading
Isaiah 55:1-3

1 "Ho, every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Hearken diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in fatness.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

Second Reading
Romans 8:35, 37-39

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
...
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gospel Reading
Matthew 14:13-21

13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.
14 As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick.
15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves."
16 Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat."
17 They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish."
18 And he said, "Bring them here to me."
19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down  on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
20  And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.
21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Bible Study

Meditation

How do you treat those who make unexpected demands on you?  When Jesus and the disciples sought a lonely place to regroup and rest, they found instead a crowd of more than five thousand people waiting for them!  Did they resent this intrusion on their hard-earned need for privacy and refreshment?  Jesus certainly didn't but welcomed
them with open-arms. Jesus put human need ahead of everything else. His compassion showed the depths of God's love and concern for all who are truly needy.  Jesus gave the people the word of God and he healed them physically as well as spiritually.  We can never intrude upon God nor exhaust his generosity and kindness.  He is ever ready to give to those who earnestly seek him out.  Do you thirst for his saving word and for his healing power?

Why did Jesus command his disciples to do what seemed impossible-- to feed such a large and hungry crowd when there were no adequate provisions in sight? Jesus, no doubt wanted to test their faith and to teach them to rely upon God for their provision.  The signs which Jesus did, including the miraculous feeding of the five thousand
signified that God the Father had indeed sent his only begotten Son as the anointed  Prophet and King for his people. Jesus' feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle recorded in all four gospels. What is the significance of this miracle? The miraculous feeding of such a great multitude pointed to God's provision of manna in the wilderness for the people of Israel under Moses' leadership. This food foreshadowed the true heavenly bread which Jesus would offer his followers. Jesus makes a claim only God can make: He is the true bread of heaven that can satisfy the deepest hunger we experience. The feeding of the five thousand shows the remarkable generosity of
God and his great kindness towards us. When God gives, he gives abundantly. He gives more than we need for ourselves that we may have something to share with others, especially those who lack what they need. God takes the little we have and multiplies it for the good of others. Do you trust in God's provision for you and do you share freely with others, especially those who lack?

Reflections:

· Please re-read the phrase(s)/sentence(s) that move(s)/touche(s) you.
   -----What inner message of the heart is the Spirit whispering to you this week?

·  Then he ordered the crowds to sit down  on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. (Matthew 14:19-20)
   ------Have you ever experienced pity on others like Jesus did when you look people's miseries around you?
   ------What "fish or bread" do you have to share with a physically hungry world? with a spiritually hungry world?

.  Where do you see yourself in this story?  A sick person to be healed, a follower to be fed, a disciple working with Jesus to feed the people, a bystander, or someone else? Or, are you a prince at Herod's birthday party instead?

 . What nourishes your life? your work, your achievement, your   family, your money, grace from God, or what? Are you  well-fed and satisfied, or malnourished and frustrated?

. What can you do to stay close to the source of your nourishment, and to help Jesus feed people around you?

To live His Word this week:

. Invite someone who is unemployed to dinner or to the movie....
. Do not show your anger toward the car in front of you when he/she is driving slowly.

For Youngsters:

. Pick up some trash or dirty clothes around your house and put them in the proper place.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, you satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts and you feed us with the finest of wheat (Psalm 81:16). Fill me with gratitude for your blessings and give me a generous heart that I may freely share with others what you have given to me.