Lord, We Are Hungry

“On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.” ~ Isaiah 25:6

In today’s first reading, God promises Isaiah that everyone in Heaven will be provided with rich foods and choice wines. What a promise! Everyone can share the Lord’s rich food and choice wine. How?

God’s Answer

Matthew, in his Gospel, provides the answer. Jesus told his disciples, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat” (Matthew 15:32). Jesus’ followers had only seven loaves of bread and two fish. Yet, somehow, they managed to satisfy the great crowd completely and still collect seven baskets of leftovers.

God’s Abundance

I’ve heard it said that this story, and the feedings in the other Gospels, are not miracles but examples of the power of sharing, to which I say nonsense! Nowhere does either passage say someone shared, so everyone shared. In Mark’s account, a boy shares, but not anyone else.

No, what happened was, Jesus broke and blessed the bread, shared it with the crowd, and all were satisfied. As promised in Isaiah, God provides the food here and in Heaven. In fact, God provides bread and wine every day. At every Mass, the priest, in persona Christi, breaks the Bread, blesses it, and offers it to us so we may be satisfied spiritually on Earth and receive the graces needed to feast on the Lord’s holy mountain.

Our Role

While these passages aren’t stories about sharing, we are called to share. Yes, we are to share our bread and fish with others; however, we are to share something more. We are to share the news about Jesus’ miracles. We are to tell others what we receive in that holy Bread and Wine. We are to share the message of God’s love and generosity. The story is about sharing, but food is only the beginning.

First published on December 4, 2024 at https://catholicvineyard.com/lord-we-are-hungry/