PRIORITIZING THE NEED

We are in the Eighteenth Sunday of ordinary time. We are also in the midst of covid-19 pandemic, which has afflicted humanity in various ways such as economic crisis, poverty, hunger, unemployment and so on. To overcome this deadly virus and the evils that have risen together with it we need prioritize things in our life. We need to focus on important things that enhance our living. In this context the readings of today become very relevant. They invite us to reflect on the importance of life and things that have to be prioritized at any cost in our living.

The Greatest Miracle: in today’s gospel we have the feeding of the five thousand or the miracle of multiplication of bread (Mt 14:13-21). The multiplication of five loaves and two fishes is the only miracle that is presented in all the four gospels. This miracle is an anticipation of the institution of Eucharist on the last supper. In the Old Testament YHWH fed people of Israel with manna in the desert. In the New Testament, Jesus is feeding the five thousand men besides women and children from five loaves and two fishes in a lonely place. This lonely place is almost a wilderness without any facility to avail themselves to get some food – the very reason for which the disciples tell Jesus to send the people away. In the desert, Manna was showered every morning with sufficient quantity for the day. Here, in the New Testament Jesus tells the disciples to collect the left overs after they had all eaten. They collect twelve baskets full of scraps symbolically representing twelve tribes of Israel. In the desert, Moses was only a mediator, who appealed to YHWH to get some food to the hungry Israelites. Here, Jesus-the new moses, not pleading to YHWH rather He Himself gives food to the hungry people. Jesus is not just new moses representing old moses in the time of Exodus. Jesus is God. It is He, God, Jesus who gives food to the hungry. It was Jesus who was represented in the time of exodus in the person of Moses. Moses was an indicator to the coming messiah-Jesus who would feed the people with eternal food. In this miracle Jesus is feeding the people with material food. After eating this people will certainly be hungry, but later, through His death and resurrection He would feed the people with eternal food, the Eucharist which would grant each believer with eternal life. Jesus said, “Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (Jn 6:49-51). Therefore, this greatest miracle is only an invitation to perceive the divine spirit that is working in Jesus.

The Value of Food: during the time of Jesus people were facing three miseries in their daily life. They were: demonic spirit possession, sickness and hunger. Jesus after exorcising people from demonic powers and healing people from serious sicknesses is now feeding the hungry people. As a father feeds his children, Jesus feeds his people. The very existence of human being demands food. All that we do in life is to feed ourselves and lead a good life. This pandemic has taught us very well that all that we need to exist in this world is not money, but food. There is no use in having everything but deprived of food. Therefore, food is necessary and has an important place in our life. We eat thrice in a day beside little snacks and drinks. Jesus through this miracle raised the value of food by attending to the need of the people. He showed compassion (his heart was moved with pity for them –Mt 14:14) for the people who came in search of Him. He filled their spiritual thirst with his preaching and send them back home by filling their physical need with food. In today’s world how far do we attend to the need of our neighbour, especially those who are hungry? Do we feed the hungry and share the food items with the needy? During this lockdown may people are deprived of their daily food. In ‘our father’ we pray “give us this day our daily bread.” Are we grateful to the food that we enjoy every day? Do we realize the pain of the hungry people when we waste food? Therefore, let us realize the value of food and act accordingly.

Proper Utilization of the Wealth: in the first reading from Isaiah 55:1-3 the Lord says, “Why spend money on what is not bread, your wages on what fails to satisfy?” this question is very apt in this fantasy filled world. In the olden days people stored or saved the money to feed the relatives well at special occasions such as marriage. Today, we spend most of our hard-earned money to enrich and furnish our living spaces than to feed oneself or others with good food. This covid-19 pandemic compels us to have strong immunity to survive. To meet this need we need to eat good and healthy food. We can have majestic houses, no. of vehicles, dresses for all 365 days of the year… what if we haven’t developed sufficient immunity in ourselves? Therefore, we need to prioritize in spending our wealth. Jesus used divine power to fulfil the basic need of the people: food. He prioritized things in His mission.

Today’s readings are invitation to spend our money and wealth in acquiring things that last long. The money that we have is our own hard-earned money. It was a reward for our hard work. So, why to waste that money in unnecessary things? Let us use our wealth to provide oneself with good nutritious food. If possible, let us also help other to avail themselves to good nutritious food. Let us appreciate and value the food that we eat with high esteem. May the good Lord be our model in prioritizing things in our life.