FROM OUR HANDS
(He) broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. Mt 14:19
In our Gospel passage this week, we have a familiar scene where Jesus is presented with a large gathering of hungry followers. Putting aside His own personal grief at the death of His cousin John, He acts to fulfill the words of the prophets and because this was so important an episode, all of the gospel writers record this event. However, in Matthew’s account, we see an emphasis on the disciples’ role in the miracle that unfolds. (He) broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. Mt 14:19
As part of my diaconate formation, I did an internship at the Cathedral Kitchen, in Camden, NJ. On my first visit in late June 2011, with sweltering heat, 225 people came hungry. All ages, all races and all were fed; no questions asked. The meal that day was a hot entrée (a stew of sorts over Dutch noodles), water, milk and dessert. When the noodles ran out, the stew was served over fried potatoes, when the stew ran short, toward the end of the service, there were chicken fingers and fries. All got a take home bag with a sandwich, canned fruit, and snacks. There was extra milk and water. Chef Jonathan was like that disciple who just kept dishing it out as more came in and reclined. He was like a shepherd that day laughing with some of the sheep (most of them dirty and smelly as sheep tend to be); giving some extra to the sheep who brought their children, the littlest lambs. I was told that since it was toward the end of the month, many more people came that day, because they were running low on the public assistance that comes at the beginning of the month. Prior to COVID-19 when the Cathedral Kitchen could serve guests in the dining facility, guests were seated 12 to a table, then reduced to 6 to observe social distancing. As the pandemic and the imposed regulations evolved, so did the ability to serve the way I experienced the regular meal service. During the current pandemic, CK cannot serve guests in the dining room but is still serving 1600 meals a day to 8 halfway houses, while providing their regular guests with hot “to go” meals.T
It occurs to me, that there are many types of hunger, physical like in the readings this week, being just one of them:
- Many hunger for a knowledge of Christ which we can teach, by word and more importantly by example. Speaking at work or school on what our faith teaches about the issues of the day; yet doing so with love and compassion. Our current climate, implores us to speak to the truth, ever so doing with the compassion of Christ.
- Others hunger for companionship, reach out with a call or visit, of course maintaining social distancing.
- Some only hunger for a closeness to God, but feel so separated for a host of reasons; so pray with and for them.
- My point is that there is hunger are all around us; but the food, we give, whether spiritual, physical or emotional will not run out. God will not allow it to. We need to just keep “reaching into the basket”.
- Perhaps more today than ever, after we have gone through nearly 6 months of unprecedented times, we have been given a unique opportunity to take stock of what is right around us in our own homes our own lives and I am speaking for myself as much as anyone else:
- Maybe I/we have become complacent to the abundance of God’s blessings in my/our lives.
- Maybe I/we need to remember, in the words of our Holy Father, the true shepherd has to interact with the sheep so much that they smell like the sheep; meaning immersing myself/yourself as a shepherd into the world of the sheep. That is sometimes the biggest challenge for some, but also the source of the greatest personal reward.
I pray we are touched by the same Holy Spirit that was with His disciples while they passed out the loaves and fish to the hungry among them. So that we will be mindful that our spiritual baskets never run out as we feed those who hunger around us.
God Bless You!
Deacon Frank Campisi
