It's Loaves and Fishes Time

“Five loaves and two fish are all that we have here.”
Matthew 14:17

I have heard from time to time an interpretation of the five loaves and the few fish that basically talks about how the apostles went out and gathered whatever food people had brought and redistributed it to each of the 5000+ people to eat. At the end there was much left. I am not sure of the scriptural validly of this interpretation, but I am interested in that concept. At this time in the history of our Catholic Church in North America and in the world, we have come to a standstill. We are hungry and look to the
Hierarchy of the church and the ordained to feed us. We have expected them to have all of the food. I am beginning to understand that that just isn’t what is going to happen. It is time for us, the figurative five thousand (plus women and children) to bring our loaves, our crusts, and our small fish to the community to be shared according to our need. Africa at the moment has a bigger need than I do. I believe that if we do that, we will have twelve baskets of generosity left which will spill over into taking care of or feeding peoples outside of our community. The bishops and other religious are still needed, but they are stymied because we are not stepping forth. Many of us have little to offer; what each has to offer will be different. But we need to step forward and offer that to the community to help it feed itself or reach its goals. We each need to help to make the church whole again. We start here with each other. What do I have that I can offer the community that will help this community to stay together and grow in Faith? Pretty simple, isn’t it? Let’s not make it complex. Let’s for once just return to the basics of the gospel lesson.

Omission

“And what I have failed to do. . .”
Act of Contrition


Recently I heard a sermon about the reading of the rich man who lost heaven because of what he did not do. Omission. Frankly, every time I am exposed to that gospel reading, I cringe. What a better example of our gifted lives in America and our greatest barrier to obtaining heaven, Omission. The phrase “and what I have failed to do” is haunting. Could we be a nice clean living community that is missing the point? Omission.
If it is a Sunday morning and offertory time and I am there and trying to remember one instance where I worked in the vineyard outside of my immediate family during this past week and I can’t; What do I really have to offer? There is that “Omission” concept again. Surely there was at least one time I could have: volunteered somewhere for three hours, take a cake to someone who could use one, visit a person who doesn’t get other visitors often, assist a child of a friend, a letter that could have been written, or a new parishioner to welcome. Omission. It scares me.