4th Sunday of Lent 14.3.21 Multiplication
When God gave good and beautiful things to the human race, such as wine, food, sunshine, health… He was hoping that people would respond gratefully and use those things in the way that He intended them to be used.
This was not the usual outcome. Many people, probably most, saw their chance and said: All these things are available to me. Why do I not just take them and use them as I please? Why bring God into it?
The whole history of the human race has been this battle between giving God His rightful place; or trying to blot Him out as much as possible.
God has been very patient, because He could have punished us far more than He has; and still His invitation stands – the invitation to enter more fully into His life, into union with Him.
Of all His gifts the Eucharist is His supreme gift to us, but it is greatly underrated by many.
The Eucharist is more subtle than most miracles because it does not address a particular need, such as being afraid of a storm, or suffering from an illness. It is more general than that.
It is God's invitation to every person to come into close union with Him. It can be lost if our desires are too much concerned with the flesh, as opposed to the spirit.
When the Israelites were hungry God rained down manna from Heaven. The people complained about the monotony of the food. They were no longer dying from hunger, so they complained about the taste of the food! (Num 11,6)
Many of the crowd gathered in today’s Gospel would have been glad for the meal which came from nowhere, but would not have reflected any more deeply than that their physical need was met.
Our Lord reproduces Himself every day in the Mass, all over the world. But most of the world’s population is indifferent. Either they do not know about this gift, or they do not believe in it. Whatever the reason very few are breaking the door down to receive the Bread of Life, the bread which will link them with Heaven. It is heavenly food, providing heavenly benefits and remedies.
It is not just the quantity of the bread that is multiplied; but the power it works.
It is Our Lord’s wish that people in every place and time will meet Him in this way, and be suitably aware of what that means.
He wants to work His good influence in each person who approaches the Sacrament. It is a meal beyond all others.
To us it falls both to value the Eucharist, and to receive it. In the face of so much indifference we affirm our awareness, our interest, our desire that God will do with us all that He wants.
Ingratitude has damaged the human race so much. We are doing our bit to restore the balance.
The crowd was made to sit down, to indicate the need for orderly faith on the part of each one present. Everyone will be fed (needs supplied) if we are patient and do not wander off somewhere.
So we go back to God's original intention. Are we prepared to accept His gifts, yet still put Him first; or are we going to hijack His gifts for our own purposes (the essence of all sin).
Can we find Him in the midst of it all; or will we continue to ignore Him, or even crucify Him again?
Today is Laetare Sunday. There is great joy to be found by anyone who perceives the true God and His importance.
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