HOMILY WEEK 05 06 – Year II
Jesus – Bread of Life: Faith Versus Faithlessness
Memorial of St. Scholastica
(1 Kg 12:26-34; Ps 106; Mk 8:1-10)
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A new waitress was told by a customer he wanted two headlights and four hubcaps, without any explanation. The kitchen staff, who knew the customer as a joker, told her he wanted two eggs and four pancakes. She then brought him a can of beans, and when he asked what that was for, replied, “Sir, that’s for you to gas up with while you wait for your spare parts!”
Today’s readings invite us to deepen our faith in Jesus as the Bread of Life, to trust in his power to work in our lives, and to avoid falling for false gods or idolatry.
In the first reading, we see how a weak faith leads King Jeroboam of Israel into the sin of idolatry. His response to being made king over ten tribes of Israel is not gratitude, obedience to God and serving the needs of his subjects. Instead, like King Herod centuries later, his weak faith morphed into paranoia, jealousy and fear that worshipping God in Jerusalem might lead his subjects to place their loyalty with King Rehoboam of Judah.
As a result, he blatantly set about constructing a rival system of false worship, high places, golden calves, pseudo-priests and the command to the people to participate in this idolatrous religious system, to which in their weakness they capitulate and comply.
The same reality faces us every day – to be led astray by gossip, believing negative hearsay about others or families, and then to think our happiness lies in giving ourselves to possessions, prestige, power and pleasure. How many families have not felt the destructive impact of an insecure person marrying into the family and wasting no time turning others in the area against that very family out of fear they might take the partner away. That is what King Jeroboam was able to do with his own people – turn them away from worship of the one true God of Israel.
In the gospel, we see just the opposite. Jesus, who is that one true God and King of Israel, actually reaches out to even the gentile nations in the area, symbolized by the number seven. He teaches and heals, and finally, responds to their physical hunger with the multiplication of the loaves. In so doing, he tests the faith of the disciples, and strengthens our faith. The reply of the disciples, “How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?” is striking and significant. Their faith is still too small to see and understand. They are in the presence of the one who is the Bread of Life for the world, who alone can satisfy the deepest yearnings of the human heart for truth, goodness and beauty.
That is what they would learn when they obey Jesus, cooperate with him, watch him bless the seven loaves, and marvel as the bread continues to multiply until all four thousand hungry persons are fed, with seven baskets full left over.
That is what Jesus wants to do in our lives today. He still blesses whatever little we offer him and multiplies it just as he did two thousand years ago. Think of St. Jean Vianney, who knew his mission to stir up love for God in the village of Ars, France, was way beyond his ability. And so, he did what he could – trust in Jesus, prayed to him for the townspeople, visited their homes, listened to them and built relationships with them. Jesus blessed what Vianney offered, and thousands of 19th century French men and women experienced conversion, flocking to him to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation with this humble priest who could read their souls. Another example is St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, picking up just one dying person and the world seeing Jesus multiply her act of compassion astonishingly.
We may have only a small loaf of bread or perhaps a single meager fish to offer Jesus. Instead of focusing on how small it might look, just give it to him, and trust he will transform our meager offering into something beautiful for God, as Mother Teresa used to say. In some ways, writing books has been that way for me. I am surprised and delighted sometimes to hear where a book has gone and what has happened because of it. Sr. Fay Trombley, an extraordinary missionary presence in the remote community of Tuktoyaktuk above the Artic Circle, ordered two dozen copies of Still Green and Growing and gave them out to her parishioners, all because a retired priest, the late Fr. Don Stein, gave her one years ago when up there for Christmas ministry.
Today the church honours another humble person who lived this message. Scholastica was the twin sister of St. Benedict, the founder of Western monasticism, and she was the leader of a women’s community likely located near Benedict’s monastery at Monte Cassino. What little is known about her life is found in St. Gregory the Great’s book, the second Dialogue, which is an account of her brother’s miracles. One of her miracles occurred when she was visiting her brother. When he was reluctant to have her stay longer, she prayed and instantly a storm came up preventing her from leaving, so they stay together longer, conversing about holy things! She died about 543 and was buried in Benedict’s tomb, where he joined her in death soon after. She is the patron of nuns – especially Benedictines – and children with convulsive disorders.
The Eucharist is our own experience of the multiplication of the loaves, as humble gifts of bread and wine are transformed by the Holy Spirit into the body and blood of Jesus, and his word touches and transforms our hearts.
May our celebration strengthen our faith in Jesus as the Bread of Life for the world, deepen our trust in his power to work through us and in us, and empower us to say “no” to any false gods seeking to lead us astray like King Jeroboam.
