Miracle Finish in the 5,000 (2012-08-05)

This is my homily for 5 August  2012 (Sunday). I am a Catholic chaplain in Teaneck at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) campus and for the FDU Newman Catholic Association. We celebrate Catholic Mass - during Fall and Spring semester - every Sunday Evening (7:00 p.m.) at the Interfaith Chapel, 842 River Road, Teaneck, NJ.  We resume Sunday August 26, 2012. 

5 August 2012, 18^th Sunday, year B

Exodus 16:2-4 | Psalm 78 | Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 | + John 6:24-35

[__01]   It was a miracle finish in the 5,000.  And, miraculous events attract attention, sometimes journalists, the press, with cameras and tape recorders.

The Gospel today also attracts attention.

In the Gospel this Sunday, our Lord and Savior speaks to the people – disciples and “news analysts” of his day.  Many are impressed with the most recent miracle, the multiplication of the loaves and fishes of which we read in last Sunday’s Gospel.

This is live coverage.

5,000 plus people were fed instantly.

Has a new record been set?   Now, of course, we do not assign point values, or gold/silver/bronze medals to some miracles over others. All of the miracles remind us the Lord’s sacrifice and undying love, his endurance on our behalf. However, in this particular miracle, Jesus touches and feeds everyone present.

This miracle anticipates the even more important “final” event of his Last Supper, death, resurrection by which he feeds us with his body and blood in the Eucharist.

This is our communion, our bond in real time.

[__02]  In the first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 9, Paul compares the Christian journey, a race (sprint, marathon, 5,000 meters…). This race may leave us out of breath. For we have challenges and sorrows in our lives.

Even just the daily struggle, amid difficulty to:

• Be cheerful, to smile
• Be punctual, to be on time
• Be patient, to with kindness on others

The Good News is that we are not judged with a stopwatch. We are not judged based on our defeats. Rather, we are judged by God who loves us and will credit us for trying, for our degree of difficulty, the degree of difficulty – mental, physical, emotional.

So this is a race. Nevertheless, Paul also emphasizes that we are not simply running toward the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at the finish line.

In the letter to the Romans, chapter 5, Paul writes that the love of God has been poured into our hearts. (cf. Romans 5:5)

In Psalm 27, we read, “the Lord is my light and my salvation, of whom should I be afraid?”

We should not be afraid of our…

• Bosses
• Children
• The classmate who is 5 inches taller or who seems so much more intelligent.

You and I are on a journey and are still growing, changing …and, at times looking back, reflecting and repenting.  But, this does not mean that we wait for others to judge us with Gold/Silver/Bronze.

[__03]  In this Gospel, Jesus is being interviewed and analyzed after the multiplication miracle. And, many in the press, the reporters/journalists – with their microphones and cameras – are trying to capture the moment so as to report on it … objectively, factually.

Of course, OBJECTIVE reporting has a value. Every media outlet is trying to outperform the others in their accuracy and speed.  They want to be able to say.. you heard it here first.

This OBJECTIVE reporting has a value whether this is the BBC, NBC, or the New Testament.

And, the objective fact of the multiplication miracle is important to our understanding of the Eucharist. The Lord makes himself present to all. He remains abundant and available to us in prayer.  Also, in feeding the crowd on the green grass, we remember that the Lord wants to lead us to what is good, making us to lie down in green pastures, beside restful waters, as we read in Psalm 23.[1]

[Psalm 23]

The bread is multiplied, beautifully placed before us for our consideration… objectively speaking.

[__04]  Nevertheless, last Sunday  and this Sunday, Jesus suggests that we avoid making him only an OBJECT to be worshiped from afar. We recall that last Sunday Jesus wants to escape the plot to make him king.

Today, Jesus is asked / analyzed further – “how can we do what you do? How can we accomplish the works of God? ”  (cf. John 6:24-35)

[__05]  Jesus speaks now of a relationship rather than a competition.

That is, he says, believe in me, welcome me into your mind and heart. Don’t make me a competitor to against whom to race.

Make me a companion with whom to race, or walk or simply lie down in green pastures in prayer.

Welcoming the Lord this way, we enjoy our bond, our communion with him. With his assistance and support, this is our victory.

[__06]

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[1] CCC 1335, Daniel Harrington, Sacra Pagina, John, page 198, “the green grass recalls Psalm 23:2 …”