What really happened
that afternoon a long time ago when five loaves and two fish were shared with
more than five thousand people and all went home fed, with plenty left over?
Something so wonderful happened that day that the story of it has come down to
us in all four gospels. It is one of our most regular readings throughout the
year, but what really happened?
It is highly doubtful that a crowd of
Jews that big would have left on a nine-mile hike without making preparation –
a few maybe, but certainly not five thousand people! There are two reasons I
can think of that would have prevented them from not being prepared. (1) There
were no big stores and restaurants lining the roads back then like we have
today. (2) Jews were very particular about their food. It had to
be kosher. No Jew would think of leaving home for such a long hike without his
bottle-shaped basket with its kosher food for eating.
Probably what happened was that people
were hiding what they had brought from such a hungry crowd, lest there not be
enough for themselves. It was only when Jesus took the five barley loaves and
two smoked fish from the boy, blessed them, broke them and began passing them
around that a willingness to share was triggered in the crowd. When this
example of sharing spread through the crowd, people pulled out what they had
and began to share it. Remember, the word multiplication is
not mentioned in this story. As a result of this sharing, everybody had their
fill and there was a lot left over. You can believe it was a literal
"multiplication" if you like, but I personally favor this explanation
for several reasons.
First, we need to remember that one of
the things that Jesus rejected when it was offered to him by the devil, when he
was in the desert discerning the direction of his ministry, was magically
turning rocks into bread to feed hungry people. Jesus could, not doubt, have
done that but he rejected that solution to hunger. Rather, he knew that if
people would just change their minds about shortages and share the resources of
the world, there would be no need for such “rocks into bread” magic.
Second, if it were just about Jesus’ power to miraculously produce bread and fish from thin air, then we might be amazed at the power that Jesus had, but we could not pull off such an event ourselves. No, this is a miracle alright, but I personally believe that it is a miracle of sharing, not some miraculous "multiplication." I believe that what happened is something that we, working together, can do even today. It's a miracle we, working together, can perform!
I believe strongly in being generous. I learned it growing up from my mother. She was always giving visitors to our house "something to take home with them!" I guess that's why I am always up to my ears in some kind of service project, whether it is in the island missions of the Caribbean or whether it is down in Meade County in my home parish of St. Theresa.
I have always liked being generous, but lately I have expanded that a
bit. I am trying to prepare myself for being generous. Rather than being
caught off guard and being unprepared for situations like those in today's
gospel where I can be generous, I plan in advance so that when opportunities
present themselves, I'll be ready. Obviously, the people in today's gospel had
prepared enough food beyond their own needs, without realizing it! All they
needed was the "inspiration" to "share" that came from
Jesus!
In December, I gave away three pick-up
loads of surplus stuff from my condo and garage, thereby creating an empty
cabinet dedicated to where I can put bargains, not extra things I might need
for my own use, but so that I will have a stash of things other people need,
ready to give away. I have created a special place to put whatever really good
bargain items I can find that I feel others can use! I have decided that I not
only want to be generous, but I also want to be prepared and ready to be
generous when the time comes!
I have come up with other ways to be
generous as well! (1) A few weeks ago, I got another Kroger coupon for a dozen
of free eggs. I don't eat a lot of eggs and I had just bought a whole dozen the
week before, but I got I my "free dozen of eggs" and checked
out! I waited by the door going out until I found just the right family to give
them to - she was an obviously poor woman with three small children! I offered
them to her and she was very happy to take them after I explained that I had
gotten them with a free coupon! (2) I sometimes get a coupon for a "free
package of Oreos." I try not to have sweets in the house because I am
seriously addicted to sugar! I always check out with my free Oreos and stand
outside the door and wait till I see a woman with a bunch of kids or a
grandmother who might have grandkids so I can give them away! I always give
things like Oreos to parents or grandparent, never to kids directly. These days
I could be mistaken as a predator! During Lent, I often shop with coupons in
hand, When I check out, Kroger has this nice feature that tells you how much
you saved on each trip. I keep all of the receipts till Easter and add them all
up and that is what I send to the parish Rice Bowl Collection.
I am not trying to claim to be saintly
in my generosity, nor am I trying to say that you should do what I do, but I am
saying that there are creative ways to be generous in sharing, often without you
having to suffer! All you have to do is have the desire to be generous,
pay attention, plan ahead and be creative beyond just handing dollar bills
to those suspiciously holding "homeless" signs at so many
intersections! We are all called to share what we have with those
"without," but we are also called to be "smart sharers" so
we don't keep making "dependents!" Often that requires that we
"make plans" to be generous by thinking ahead and being prepared,
rather than just hand out cash to relieve our guilt! Some families develop
“charity funds,” encourage children to do odd jobs to donate to it and then decide
together where to dispense it, teaching their children how to be smart “givers”
in the process! Richer families have established “family trusts” from which
they make donations to charity.
I have learned two things for sure!
(1) As I have learned from experience, being generous and sharing often does
more for the giver than the one to whom something is given! As
Jesus promised, "Give and it will be given to you! A good measure, pressed
down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lamp. For with
the measure you use, it will be measured to you!" (2) As I have
learned from today's gospel, we don't need magic and we don't need miracles!
There is already enough to go around! All we need are enough good people really
paying attention to others and being creative and smart in their
sharing!
My good people of St. Leonard Parish,
let me end this homily by repeating something I said earlier. “I believe
strongly in being generous. I learned it from my mother.” I believe in being
generous because I feel so strongly that I have been blessed. I believe in
being generous because Jesus said, “To whom much has been given, much is
required!” I believe deeply that being
generous does more for the giver than the one to whom something is given! Even
though I will see you, going forward, only once a month, I feel so blessed to
have had the opportunity to lead you in prayer several times a month over the
last few years! You have been good to me and you have been good for
me! I feel so blessed for what I have been given by people like you, over 54
years of priesthood, that I have had these four words engraved on my new
tombstone – Simply Amazed – Forever Grateful! That, my friends, is why I like to be generous
and how I want to be remembered – amazed and grateful for how much, and how
often, I have been blessed!
No comments:
Post a Comment