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6th
June 2010 THE MOST HOLY BODY & BLOOD OF CHRIST YEAR C
There
is perhaps a no more heart-wrenching sight than the malnourished and
starving. We are familiar with the images. We know there is food in
abundance, we know we are a people that generally overeats. We know
also that often the world hunger problem is tied up with politics,
but even this does not take from us the need to respond. Our own
share of God’s abundant gifts prods us to respond. But the plight
of the needy extends beyond food and our response must also extend
beyond providing food. Today’s feast is about more than even the
great gift of the Eucharist. It is about the Kingdom of God.
To
understand a bit better the miraculous feeding of the multitude it is
helpful to look at its context in Luke’s gospel. Chapter 9 begins
when Jesus commissions the Twelve, giving them authority, sending
them “to proclaim the kingdom of God,” and to heal the sick.
When they return Jesus once again “spoke to the crowds about the
kingdom of God” and this is where today’s gospel begins.
Jesus
not only spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God, he also gave
them an experience of it by healing the sick and providing food in
abundance - even excess! In Jesus’ ministry, preaching, healing,
feeding and abundance indicate that the Kingdom of God is being
established. We each have our own ways of establishing the Kingdom of
God in our daily lives. Participating in the Eucharist nourishes us
for our mission of helping ourselves and others experience God’s
living and loving presence in all the circumstances of our lives.
Fr.
Joe
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