Homily
for July 30, 2006
Liturgical Year B - Cycle II
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Joshua Nyoni Topic:
Jesus Needs Us
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Reading
I
2 Kgs 4:42-44
A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God,
twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits, and fresh grain in the
ear. Elisha said, “Give it to the people to eat.” But his servant
objected, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” Elisha
insisted, “Give it to the people to eat.” “For thus says the LORD,
‘They shall eat and there shall be some left over.’” And when they had
eaten, there was some left over, as the LORD had said.
Reading II
Eph 4:1-6
Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a
manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and
gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of
your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
Gospel
Jn 6:1-15
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up
on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish
feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a
large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy
enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him, because he
himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred
days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have
a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two
fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the
people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So
the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the
loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their
fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so
that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve
wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been
more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done,
they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the
world.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first reading we have just listened to, from the Book of
Kings, prepares us to understand the Gospel reading today. Elisha, a
man of God, instructed his servant to feed the people. The servant did,
with a little bit of some objection. When he did that, it is said, that
the people ate and that there were some leftovers. A large number of
people were served with a small amount of food. What do we see with
that? What seemed impossible through human perception, it became
possible through the help of God, through divine intention, through
divine intervention. Now, here we see exactly what the words, you
remember the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary, “Nothing is impossible
to God.” This is exactly what we see. Therefore, if we trust in what we
are to God, God will do something, and He will do something great.
In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul challenges us to live a
life worth of our vocation. He says this, “That life means bearing with
one another charitably, selflessly.” He also says, “with gentleness and
patience.” Now think of God’s patience. God is so patient with us. Now,
if God were not patient, I think He would have already destroyed the
world. But because He is patience itself, He bears with us, with love.
If God is so patient, He invites us to be patient with one another.
When it comes to that, I know we are terribly bad. Yet, God invites us
to be patient with one another.
When we come to the Gospel today, we see the generosity of
God in the person of Jesus. To the amazement of the disciples and the
people, a vast crowd is fed, but not only that; there were leftovers
that even filled 12 baskets. Jesus confronted His disciples to do
something to feed the people. What happened? Phillip gave his own
response. For Phillip, the situation was hopeless: too many people and
nothing could be done. What do we see in the person of Phillip? It is
this. Phillip sees difficulties, which is what happens to us many
times. On the other hand, we have Andrew. With a little trust, what
does he do? He says, “There is a little boy here with 5 loaves and 2
fish.” What is that to all those that have to be fed? That’s why I said
with a little trust in Jesus, he brings that boy and when that was
done, what happened? Andrew did not know what he was doing, but
he did it.
We never know what possibilities we are releasing when we
bring something or someone to Jesus. Jesus needs what we can bring. It
may not be much, but He needs it. He needs what we are and what we
have. That little which we bring is always, this is where the miracle
is, is always much in the hands of Jesus. If what we are is brought to
Christ, is brought to Jesus, He turns it into something great.
Today’s readings invite us to look into our hearts, and ask
ourselves this question. How much of our lives are we currently placing
in the hands of Jesus to do with it as He wishes? Jesus needs what we
are: our talents, our generosity. He needs our hands and feet, so that
He can reach out to the hopeless, He can reach out to the homeless, and
in fact, so He can reach out to those who see life as hopeless. He
needs us. He needs you. Offer to Him what you are, what you have. With
that, He will turn it into something great, something you never
expected.
As I am saying this, I am reminded of the excellent words of
the prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola. I would like to conclude with
that. St. Ignatius says,
“Take Lord,
my liberty. Take my memory. Take my understanding and my entire will.
Take whatever I am and have. You have given it all to me, now I give it
all back to you. Do with it whatever you wish. Give me only your love
and your grace, with these I am rich enough and desire nothing more.”
What is the real point? To offer to God what we are, what we
have. With that, God will turn it into something great. May God help
us.