Love Alone Satisfies Spiritual Hunger
(Is 25:6-10a; Ps 23; Mt 15:29-37)
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“Is that all there is to my life?” is a question many people end up asking, especially as they enter into the second half of life.
Our yearning for the fullness of life can only be satisfied by the experience of God’s love, and believing in Jesus is the best way to experience that love which alone satisfies our spiritual hunger.
Mount of Beatitudes Church
The Gospel account today probably takes place on the Mount of the Beatitudes near the Sea of Galilee. Jesus heals all who come to him of their physical ailments. He then satisfies the physical hunger of the crowds by the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. This is probably the one passage in the Gospels where there is such a concentration of miracles. We can ask why and what is the message for us?
View from the Mt – where Jesus may have taught.
Jesus performed miracles not to be a wonder worker, but to demonstrate the unconditional love of God and elicit a response of love from us.
Jean Vanier was interviewed by the CBC one day. In the course of the interview, he touched on what he learned through his experience at L’Arche and living with the mentally challenged. Their great need was not possessions, prestige or power. It was simply to be accepted as a person of value in another’s eyes. Their cry is “Am I someone of worth in your eyes? Do you love me?”
Jean Vanier and members of L’Arche
He went on to say that cry of the poor, in their humility and vulnerability, taught him about the humility and vulnerability of God. The handicapped are unable to force anyone to love them. They simply cry out for it. He realized that same cry of the handicapped is the cry of God. God also wants to be loved, freely and intimately, and will not force us to love him at all. The cry of God for our love shows forth clearly in Jesus’ question to Peter by the lake, “Peter, do you love me?” asked three times.
Isaiah, in the first reading, speaks of a day when the shroud of death, the sheet of illness, the tears of sadness and the disgrace of shame will be overcome – a day when God’s people will rejoice in the salvation of our God.
The interesting play with numbers in the Gospel is an indication the perfection of God found in Jesus is at work, bringing about that salvation right then and there. The people were with Jesus for three days; Jesus was in the tomb for three days to redeem us. There were seven loaves of bread that he multiplied into seven baskets full of crumbs. Three and seven are perfect numbers for the Hebrew people – a sign that the presence of God was there.
The number seven also indicates this love of God is very inclusive, and includes the gentiles (and the Samaritans) whom the Jewish religious system of the time excluded. There was a sign on the temple wall forbidding gentiles to enter any future on pain of death! Just the opposite of the prophecy of Isaiah in the first reading including all peoples and all nations. This is a not so subtle indication Jesus is the Messiah and the Lord who would accomplish all that Isaiah prophecies.
The Eucharist is our participation in the multiplication of the loaves. The word of God is proclaimed and humble gifts of bread and wine the Body and Blood of Jesus, which all satisfies our spiritual hunger.
Through faith in Jesus, we are healed at a level beyond even our awareness, and empowered to go out to the world, baskets full of love, to spread the Good News of the reign of God present here and now.
Once we believe in God and Jesus Christ then we are to put our entire faith in Jesus’ hands. This means we he will lead us to journey that is full of love and joy by using their own unique way. If we want to be forgiven and healed for our sins and illnesses then we are to ask God . The Lord God will be the one who can heal us spiritually and transform us to becoming a better person by washing away our sins. Well , we have to learn how to forgive people for their faults just like forgiving ourselves. Also, we are to love one another like loving our neighbours because we have forgiven them for their faults. We should have mercy and unconditional love through our actions and show this to Jesus . When we trust him then we became his servant and his disciples to help spread the Good News. Amen . Alleluia!
Thanks for the lovely messages and homily in having full faith in Jesus Christ. He is the one who helps the poor, forgives people, love us with unconditional love and heals people with any sicknesses. Jesus will not neglect us and leave us with hunger or thirst. The homily is well written about today’s readings. Thanks Bishop Sylvain Lavoie. We love reading your homilies and pondering over it. Amen
I pretty much have this teachings and lessons in my mind when ever I look at Jesus and God . We are to remember this commandment given by God daily even when we are busy. Amen . Blessed.