MULTIPLICATION MIRACLES
A blessed 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time to you. Hope you, your family & friends are having a great Sunday, & are being nourished with Jesus, the Bread of Life in the Eucharist. This week’s readings flow from last weekends, where we found comfort & peace, joy, satisfaction & fulfillment, nourishment, safety & protection from Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
Our 1st Reading today from 2 Kings 4:42-44 talk about the Prophet Elisha, who with 20 barley loaves & fresh grain in the ear fed 100 men & had some leftover. This points us forward to today’s Gospel of John 6:1-15 when Jesue performed His 4th sign of John’s Gospel & multiplied the 5 loaves & 2 fish to feed the multitude of 5,000 men, collecting 12 hampers of scrap after all had eaten their fill.
What an amazing miracle of God’s tender love & care for His people! He alone met the needs of His people as lavishly as only He could. The Bible has many other incidences of God’s provision – the Manna, Quail & Water for the Israelites wandering in the desert; Elijah providing the widow of Zarephath & her son with the Lord’s miraculous supply of food during the drought (cf 1 Kings 17:8-16); and Elisha bringing God’s miraculous provision of holy oil to a deceased prophet’s widow & sons to sell & clear their debt, avoid the disaster of the sons being taken as slaves & provide for their material needs (cf 2 Kings 4:1-7).
What needs do you have now? I would guess not primarily food nor drink. But something more elusive – comfort, peace, healing, restoration, reconciliation, love & acceptance, feelings of achievement, fulfillment & success, closeness to God, etc. Whatever these needs are, the Response to our Psalm today “You open wide Your hand, O Lord, and grant our desires” (cf Psalm 145:18) gives us the assurance that our loving Father will provide for all our needs, desires & wants.
But besides being concerned merely about meeting our own needs, the readings also challenge us to be mindful of others. The little boy who gave Andrew his 5 loaves and 2 fish is our role model in generosity & care for others. Because he didn’t hesitate to give of his limited resources, 5,000 men who otherwise would have suffered hunger, were fed. Jesus took the generous offering of this small boy & multiplied it. Are there some things we have in our life – talent, skill, time, money, resource – that although it looks insignificant & un-important, can become a source of great blessing & provision to others? Will you give it to Jesus, for Him to multiply exponentially for the good of so many others?
Here's a beautiful song from Corrine May called “Five Loaves and Two Fishes”. Do take a listen & be inspired.
https://youtu.be/IP6Z_OpZqls?si=DrEEnytZ6D378LyF
Article by Damian Boon, HFC Blog Team Lead