So many Catholics have said they miss attending Mass during these months of the pandemic. They are fearful of assistingEven though the parishes take every precaution to be safe with deep cleaning, mask requirements and social distancing, some feel not ready to return. Often what people say they miss the most is receiving Holy Communion. It is very frustrating for them. They are hungry for the Real Presence of Christ. That has made a huge difference for them for as long as they can remember.
Recently I was speaking to some long-time friends, a San Antonio couple who are retired and have some medical conditions that make them very cautious about the Corona Virus. They told me they are not ready to attend Mass yet. They feel the need to be very careful. Yet they very much miss receiving communion. They told me they decided to volunteer to be in the trials for one of the vaccines being developed for COVID. This is a way they feel they can help others during this pandemic. I was impressed. Even though they miss the Eucharist they are still fulfilling the work of being the Body of Jesus for the world. They can be God’s gift to others.
Today’s story of the feeding of the five thousand is repeated in one way or another six times in the gospels. It is the only miracle story told in every gospel, which means it is a key story to understanding Jesus and his ministry. It shows that Jesus met the real physical needs of people. This was especially true around hunger and feeding people who were hungry. The huge number of people fed by Jesus’ miracle is a sign of God’s abundant mercy and love. The abundance is also seen in all the leftovers. God gives even more than what is needed. Jesus did not do this miracle to impress but to show the compassion of God for people.
The pandemic has caused feeding programs at schools to be closed or reduced greatly. Many low income families have depended on them to give children at least some nutritious food every day. This has stressed the food banks and food pantries to provide more food to make up the loss to the children. Many people have stepped forward volunteering to assist in this feeding reflecting the compassion of God and continuing Jesus’ ministry.
The feeding stories in the gospels are also very clearly related to the gift of the Eucharist. Each has the same wording as at the Last Supper when Jesus said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to the disciples. These same words are in the gospel today. Matthew wants us to see that the gift of Jesus’ Body and Blood is real food and real drink, which nourishes us and sends us out on mission to do the work of Jesus. We see that the work of the Church includes helping people meet their physical needs as Jesus did. We can see this not only in the food pantries at parishes and convents but also the Catholic hospitals, nursing homes and other centers caring for people. Jesus cured the sick and fed the hungry. The Church followed his example from the beginning. If not for many of these Church actions the impact on people at this time of COVID would be much worse.
Food was always seen as God’s gift to people. God promises the people of Israel a land of milk and honey. Adam and Eve are given fruit trees in Eden. God provides food for Moses and the people for forty years in the desert. In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus is the new Moses who feeds people in the desert. Jesus, however, gives food that lasts forever.
In this part of the gospel of Matthew we move from parables about the reign of God to the Church and what the disciples will build in mission after the resurrection. John the Baptist’s death causes Jesus to withdraw, and a new phase of his ministry begins, which emphasizes God’s providence, the healing of sin, sickness and hunger. Jesus is beginning to be known because he cares about the physical needs of people as well as the spiritual.
The gospel story says Jesus was moved with pity for the people. Pity in this sense reflects more a deep gut-wrenching compassion for others. Jesus probably was already feeling deep sorrow and shock at the execution of John the Baptist, knowing that this was a prelude to his own passion. This deep compassion of Jesus ultimately inspired the apostles and should inspire us.
In today’s story at first the apostles see a problem of hungry people and want to get rid of the problem. Jesus tells them, “you give them some food yourselves.” They feel inadequate to the task since they only have a meager amount of food, but with Jesus whatever we have will always be enough if we follow his commands. Jesus has spent the whole day, despite his grief at the loss of John the Baptist, ministering to the needs of others. Now he asks the disciples to do the same. They are to imitate his generosity and give all that they had even though they felt they had very little to give.
Jesus did not multiply the loaves. There is nothing in the gospel that says that. Instead, Jesus blesses, breaks and gives the bread to the disciples. It was in the act of sharing on the part of the disciples that they found out they had enough, and even more than enough. They fed the entire crowd until they were satisfied and had baskets of leftovers, to emphasize God’s mercy and abundance. Miracles happen when we are generous, even when we feel we have so little to give.
Bread is the sign of the Eucharist where we are fed. Also, the Eucharist is a challenge to help feed others. Matthew emphasizes that it is the disciples who bring the problem to Jesus, then offer the food, then help distribute it. This shows the role of other ministers. This is part of the multiplier effect, when more people get involved. The loaves are multiplied in the act of distributing them. When we share what we have in the name of Jesus, no matter how little, it is multiplied. We all have something to give in service to others. Discipleship requires generous action on our part.
Some time ago I travelled to West Africa with Catholic Relief Services, the international relief agency of the US Catholic Church. I saw beautiful welcoming people everywhere we went. At the same time I learned that many, especially in the rural areas, live in extreme poverty and do not eat three meals a day, sometimes not even eating every day, but rather every other day. I was shocked to learn this but glad that CRS was addressing hunger by helping the people develop better agricultural methods to feed themselves. This has been greatly complicated during the pandemic since so many vulnerable people live day to day. CRS in our name is rising to the task and developing new ways to help during these times. We are making a difference fulfilling Jesus’ ministry of feeding.
Every time we gather here at Eucharist we gather because we trust what Jesus said. We trust that he wants to give us what we need and we accept that belonging to this community means serving each other not just as problems, but as people we care about. Is that our reputation? Can we be trusted to be who we say we are? Today’s pandemic and its effects are testing us as we have not been tested before. So many people have so many needs in this environment. In the midst of such struggle we need to listen to Jesus’ words, “you give them some food yourselves.”
Fr. David Garcia is a retired priest from the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Texas, where he served for 44 years. During that time, Fr. Garcia was instrumental in the effort to have the Old Spanish Missions recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also oversaw the multimillion-dollar restoration of San Fernando Cathedral. Fr. David served as pastor for several parishes in San Antonio, including the historic Mission Concepción. He also served as Senior Advisor for Clergy Outreach at Catholic Relief Services, the official international humanitarian and relief agency of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.