Thursday, July 31, 2008

"$30,000 Worth of Food"- Dependence and Faith in God

This week’s readings are a continuation of last week’s message which reminded us that NOTHING is more important than the kingdom of heaven. God shows us that he knows what we need the most and he will provide for all of our needs. There is commentary following the 1st reading and the Gospel.

Reading 1
Is 55:1-3

Thus says the LORD:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
Come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread;
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.

The Desert


God wants to remind us that we are seeking things which “fail to satisfy” rather than coming to him. God insists that we come to him so that we “may have life”. How is that we are seeking things that fail to satisfy? Let’s look at Exodus chapter 16 where the Israelites are stuck in the desert without food. In this chapter, the Israelites grumble against Moses and Aaron. Some complained that if they had stayed in Egypt, at least they would have died with food in their bellies. In response, God gave them manna, which was a mysterious bread that appeared out of nowhere. He proposed a very good deal- he would give them food every day as long as they would not store any food up overnight. It was a very fair deal to the Israelites.

Can you imagine if McDonald’s announced that they would give free food to anyone who wanted it as long as they didn’t store it over night? That’s a pretty good deal. But the Israelites did not listen to Moses. Some of them kept the food over night and it became spoiled and full of worms. God also commanded the people, to take 2 days worth of the manna on the 6th day and that on this day it was okay to store it up over night. God promised that on the 6th day, the manna would not spoil over night. It remained fresh just as promised. The 7th day was meant for rest and the Israelites were told not to go out to gather the manna because there would be none on the 7th day. Yet once again, the Israelites disobeyed God and went out to look for the food. They found none.

Those crazy Israelites look kind of dumb don’t they? God parted the Red Sea and saved them from Pharaoh’s army. He fed them food from Heaven in a miraculous way. Yet they would not listen to God’s promises nor have faith that God would provide for them. God promised to feed them just enough each day, yet each night they would try to store up the food. The bible is full of stories like this where God gives simple instructions which are inevitably disobeyed. The result is usually some sort of tragedy. The first of these instances is in the garden of Eden. But these stories are not meaningless, distant tales of long ago. WE are the modern day Israelites. We are the modern day Adams and Eves. Was God’s word in the first reading meant just to be read 2500 years ago? No! God is speaking these words to us now! “Heed me and you shall eat well!”

Storing Manna Overnight in 2008

In Matthew 6:25-34 (a passage certainly meant for us Christians) God promises that he will provide for all of our needs. Do we listen or do we behave like the Israelites trying to store up food that doesn't last? Do we "come to God heedfully" as described in the 1st reading, or do we "spend our wages on things which fail to satisfy"? Sadly, most of us are not listening to Jesus' suggestion that we be dependent on him for EVERYTHING and that he will give us EVERYTHING that we need. Like the Israelites, who disobeyed by storing the manna over night and looked for food on the Sabbath, we Americans are also obsessed with survival. We show our obsession with material things by consuming HALF of the world's wealth. 1 out of 20 people in the world is American, yet we consume half of everything! We consume and store up not just food, but EVERYTHING for ourselves! Can you imagine living in a college dorm where one of the tenants uses half of the food, water, and electricity? That would be absurd! Yet despite the incredible surplus the Lord has given us, we can't get enough. We work on Sundays as we go "looking for manna" that just isn't there.

The reason God did not want the Israelites to store the food overnight is because he wanted the Israelites to be dependent on God and to know that EVERYTHING comes from God and that God provides for ALL of their needs. God is a very effective teacher, but it still takes trust in order to have a real relationship with him.

God goes on to say that "I will renew you the everlasting covenant (promise)". That promise normally refers to the promise of the Messiah who would come from the house of David. Isaih is a prophet, and this reading is coupled with this Gospel because Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise made to David. Jesus is the only person who can provide for ALL the needs of his people. It is his voice saying, "come to me heedfully, that you may have life".

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 145:8-9, 15-16, 17-18

R. (cf. 16) The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The eyes of all look hopefully to you,
and you give them their food in due season;
you open your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

Reading II
Rom 8:35, 37-39

Brothers and sisters:
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gospel
Mt 14:13-21

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me, ”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over—
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.

Jesus Feeds

The Gospel reading transitions perfectly from the 1st reading. It says that Jesus was in a deserted place. 5000 men and probably at least 5000 more women and children left whatever they were doing to be with Jesus. Now, there were no street lights in those days, so they probably went to be with Jesus right in the middle of work day. This shows that these people had strong faith in Jesus. Strong faith usually precedes many of Jesus' miracles. Since the men had probably left their jobs and the women had left their houses, they showed great faith in Jesus rather than concern for Earthly things. They must have traveled far because the place is described as deserted and then one of the disciples suggested that they should leave to go buy food for themselves. If the villages were close by, there wouldn't have been a discussion, it would have been easy to walk down the street to buy food.

The point is that these 10,000 or so people who went to see Jesus left what they were doing and walked a long way because they had faith in him. His disciples, on the other hand, were still struggling with their faith. Now why would the disciples have been struggling with their faith in Jesus? At this point in the Gospel of Matthew, they had already seen Jesus cure a blind man, heal life-long hemorrhaging, heal a paralytic, and control the weather. By this point, they should have known that Jesus could do anything he wanted.

Today, we are just like the disciples. We have seen miracles and we know very well that God can do what he pleases. The disciples told Jesus to "dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” In Mark's account of this miracle, the disciples ask Jesus, "are we going to buy $30,000 (200 days wages in today's dollars) worth of food and give it to them to eat?"1 Instead of asking this, the disciples could have remembered all of the miracles that Jesus had done and asked, "Jesus, will you provide us with food please?"

In the Gospel, Jesus tells them that "there is no need for them to go away." His response to their hunger was similar to the 1st reading, " You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat.... Heed me, and you shall eat well". Jesus gave the people what they needed. This occasion is the only one of Jesus' miracles that is mentioned in all 4 Gospels. It is an important passage for us and it's an important message from God. This miracle foreshadows Jesus' supreme gift to us- his own body and blood at the Eucharistic. This Sunday, Jesus will again fulfill his promise to give us ALL that we need- the Eucharist- Jesus himself. We've got to have faith. As the responsorial psalm says, "The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs."

Concluding Thoughts

The gospel message this week is not that we should quit our jobs and become priests and nuns.2 God wants our hearts in the right place. Through this week's readings, he wants us to ponder the following:

  • what things am I seeking which fail to satisfy?
  • am I too concerned with storing up things for myself?
  • in the beginning of the day, week, and year, am I concerned with growing closer to the Lord, or filling my life with more things?
  • do I have faith in God, or am I relying on myself for everything I need?
  • after all I have seen God do for me and others, do I act like I trust him completely?
  • do I ever think about the many who are without food?

Real Life

A couple of weeks ago, I was in the Tampa Airport. I was hoping to give up my seat in order to get a voucher for a future flight. I prayed and asked for God's will to be done even though I wanted that voucher. It turns out, I was unable to get the voucher because there was no need for me to give up my seat because some people didn't show up. I was a little bit disappointed. The flight left late and so I missed my connecting flight from Atlanta to my final destination- Charlotte. I was standing in this 2.5 hour-long line when I heard that all flights were full and I would not be able to fly to Charlotte until 30-something hours later. I felt sure that the Lord would take care of me. About 1.5 hours after getting to Atlanta, the 2 businessmen in front of me told me that they were going to rent a car and drive to Charlotte. They had just met each other in line. They asked me if I wanted to go with them. I was very pleased and agreed to go with them.

We stopped for lunch. Despite the fact that Southern cities are usually 2-10% Catholic, both of these men turned out to be Catholic which was very surprising. They paid for the rental car, the gas, and for my lunch. I tried to give them money, but they would not accept it. One of the men asked me to pray for his son who was going to Iraq. The other man gave me contact info to a good priest who was once his spiritual director. I think that God wanted me to meet these men. If I had gotten my way with the voucher, I would have taken the later flight from Tampa to Atlanta. I would have never met those men. I probably would not have made it to Charlotte until the next day, and a hotel would have been expensive. But God got me to Charlotte and he fed me. He keeps his promises to us.

God loves us.




===========Mass Excitement #23==========
1- Mark 6:37
2- Some of us are supposed to do EXACTLY this

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Are You Ready for the Kingdom of God?

This week's readings are about the rule of Jesus. We are reminded of who Jesus is, what he came to do, and how we can hear and respond to him properly. We are also reminded of what happens when we DON'T respond properly. There is commentary following the Gospel only. This week's commentary is shorter than usual, so it's a great opportunity for those of us with a short attention span.

Reading 1

1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12

The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.
God said, "Ask something of me and I will give it to you."
Solomon answered:
"O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king
to succeed my father David;
but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.
I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen,
a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.
Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart
to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.
For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?"

The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request.
So God said to him:
"Because you have asked for this—
not for a long life for yourself,
nor for riches,
nor for the life of your enemies,
but for understanding so that you may know what is right—
I do as you requested.
I give you a heart so wise and understanding
that there has never been anyone like you up to now,
and after you there will come no one to equal you."

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130

R. (97a) Lord, I love your commands.
I have said, O LORD, that my part
is to keep your words.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
For I love your command
more than gold, however fine.
For in all your precepts I go forward;
every false way I hate.
R. Lord, I love your commands.
Wonderful are your decrees;
therefore I observe them.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Lord, I love your commands.

Reading II
Rom 8:28-30

Brothers and sisters:
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers and sisters.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified.

Gospel
Mt 13:44-52 or 13:44-46

Jesus said to his disciples:
"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,
which collects fish of every kind.
When it is full they haul it ashore
and sit down to put what is good into buckets.
What is bad they throw away.
Thus it will be at the end of the age.
The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

"Do you understand all these things?"
They answered, "Yes."
And he replied,
"Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven
is like the head of a household
who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old."

The King and His Kingdom

What is this kingdom of heaven that Jesus describes in this Sunday's Gospel? First of all, kingdom comes from the word baseilia which means kingship, or reign.1 So kingdom means the rule of someone, namely the king. In this case, who is the king?

In Luke 19:38, the disciples sing "blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord" as Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. JESUS is the king of the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven (the reign, the kingship) is declared throughout the Gospel. Who better to announce the kingdom of heaven than the king himself? What does he announce? In Mark 1:15, Jesus says, "the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." So the kingdom of heaven is the announcement of Jesus' reign over all. Yet he makes this announcement in humility. Let's look at Jesus' humility for a moment.

The Humble King

God is humble and he displays his humility in many ways. For one thing, he does not think that he is so great that he wants nothing to do with us. Some people do actually believe they are so great that they want nothing to do with us. But God himself is humble enough that he gives us life for OUR benefit- not his. He certainly wants something to do with us, because he MADE us according to his plan. So, God is humble. You can see it visually if you picture the God of the universe born as an infant in a barn. He rode into town not in a Mercedes convertible, but rather on a donkey. He is humble. Some people who are not humble, feel as though they are too good to talk to the common man. But Jesus talks to us through the bible, through church, through prayer, and other means as well. In Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom of God, Jesus does more than talk, he announces, "here I am! I am here to save you (his name means "God saves"). This is more than just an announcement- he is offering to save us.

Salvation Through Faith and Baptism

The 2nd Reading assures us that "all things work for good for those who love God." Paul goes on to say that "those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified." So who is Jesus calling? He is calling me and you. He wants to justify us. That means he wants to forgive us our sins and communicate to us the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, and baptism. God wants to forgive us through faith in Jesus and through baptism. What does it means to have faith in Jesus? It means that we willingly give ourselves over to God. Faith means we give our intellect and our will to God. Faith means we give Jesus the steering wheel. Faith means we submit to EVERYTHING that God wants to teach us. Faith means we let God take charge of our lives even if it hurts. Jesus wants to save us through faith in him and baptism.

In humility, God announces to us the kingdom of heaven. God wants to save us. This is the message of the proclamation of the kingdom of God. Remember that Jesus said, "repent, and believe in the gospel." The proclamation of the Kingdom of God is very easy to understand. Jesus says, "here I am to save you. Turn away from your life of sin, and turn to me. Although you are very lowly, I am humble. In my humility, I love you." This is really good news. It is great news that the only person who truly knows us, loves us and wants to be with us. He is offering us healing, peace, and salvation.

Gospel

This news is so good that when we receive it, we are willing to give up everything we have in order to receive it fully. In the Gospel, the persons sell all that they have. The message of this week's Gospel is not necessarily that we should sell our cars and houses. The message is that NOTHING is MORE important than the kingdom of heaven. Remember that the kingdom of heaven is the reign and the kingship of Jesus. He is a great king who loves us and it's NOT okay to turn our backs on him as he makes his invitation of love to us. We are reminded of this in the Gospel where the "wicked" are thrown "into the fiery furnace". God is concerned about us. He does not want us to be thrown into the furnace, so he asks us to stop sinning and to turn our lives over to him. Let's look at an example of how to answer God's call.

1st Reading

This Gospel message is seen very clearly in the first reading as well. It gives us a picture of someone who responds to God's call properly. As God mentioned, Solomon could have asked for a long life or riches. But Solomon had the attitude of the guy who found the pearl or the treasure in the field. Solomon knew that nothing was more important than serving God so he asked God for help to serve God's people. God granted his request because "all things work for good for those who love God". There is much to learn from Solomon's prayer as well. His prayer is very humble. His request for wisdom is already an admission that he is not very wise. He says, "I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act". Just 3 weeks ago in the Gospel, Jesus said that, "although you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, you have revealed them to the childlike."3 Solomon did not have childlike intelligence- he was smart. He had childlike HUMILITY and dependence on God just like a child who depends on its mother. God answered his humble prayer. We should pray just as humbly as Solomon. It takes humility to admit that we are wrong (sinful) and then to give the steering wheel to our Lord Jesus in pure submission. This is God's call for us to give our lives to HIM.

The Point

  • Because of God's humility and generosity, he gave us life and he cares about us enough to talk to us
  • Jesus wants us to know that he desires our salvation and he gives us the opportunity to be saved
  • Jesus wants to save us through faith and baptism
  • Faith in Jesus means to give our intellect, will, understanding and all that we have to God. Faith means to believe in all that God teaches us. Faith means to allow God to be the absolute ruler or our lives
  • The forgiveness of sins is necessary for salvation and Jesus offers us our first forgiveness and life in him through baptism
  • God loves us and wants to save us. To ignore and to reject his invitation is to willfully enter hell by our choice
  • In order to hear God and to get to know him better, we need to be humble in our prayers and actions

Real Life

Back in his high school days, Father Richard Thomas S.J. was the wealthiest boy in his school.(According to Fr Harold Rahm, his former high school teacher). He went to a private Catholic school in Florida where virtually every student was and is from affluent families. So Father Thomas was quite wealthy although Fr. Rahm said he couldn't' tell by the way he dressed and Fr. Thomas never talked about it. Fr. Thomas even had a girl he liked in high school. It's likely that Fr. Thomas was being prepared to take over the family business and to live a prosperous life.

But Fr. Thomas gave all of that up to become a priest because he heard the Lord's call. It was a major disappointment to his father. As a Jesuit priest, Father Thomas made a vow of poverty which he took very seriously. He refused to use air conditioning even if it was freely available because he was supposed to be poor like the people he served. Whether he was in desert or in the high heat and humidity of Louisiana, he sweated it out. People in the El Paso/Juarez area still talk about Fr. Thomas all of the time. They still love him very much. Many people believe that he will one day be counted amongst the saints.

Even in this modern day, some people hear the voice of God calling, they give everything else up, and follow Jesus.

God loves us!

==============Mass Excitement #22=================

1- Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2816
2- CCC 2816
3- Matthew 11:25