Homily on the 6th Sunday after Pentecost
As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” Mt 14:15-16
Have we ever felt anxious, scared or worried about an event in our lives that – firstly we had no control over and secondly such an event had not yet transpired? Thus, resulting in a positive outcome, did we then feel silly for worrying about something that was not worth giving a second thought? God NEVER abandons His people! He is constantly hearing our prayers; the prayers of our loved ones and the prayers of our brethren whom He has called into communion via His saving love; never allowing us to go without! (Our Daily Bread/God abiding within the tabernacle of our hearts)
Covid has truly been a difficult time for all! Consequently, people have lost their jobs, their homes and others have sadly lost their lives to this virus. In addition, to make the situation all the more problematic our Churches have been closed down; the one place that many people find peace and solace within their busy and difficult lives.
Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread (The pray of the Our Father)
At times when we pray, we switch over onto Auto-Pilot Mode meaning that – when we do a repetitive task eventually, we will not think about what we are doing; we will just do it. Thus, we must not feel bad when this happens. The Lord knows that we are not being irreverent towards Him; He knows that we are weak and broken or He would have not fully immersed Himself into our humanity (Incarnation) – obliterating our “sins” (kingdom of darkness) onto the wood of the cross so that such would not be the cause of our suffering!
Hence, when we pray the words our Savior taught us- “Give us this day our daily bread” we are asking Him (Jesus) to enter into our hearts, so that we may see through His eyes, hear through His ears, speak through His mouth and love as He loves. Ok we may never love as He loves because He is the fullness of love; however, we may have a taste/glimpse of His great love for all humanity and the world He has given us as our inhabitance.
When we receive Jesus in the Mystery of Holy Communion, we feel and know that something great, all powerful and in some way unexplainable has just entered into us via the chalice and spoon! Something that many Heterodox Christians do not have and cannot experience due to severing themselves from Christ the vine. (Protestant Reformation)
Thus, in this time of lockdown when we pray “give us this day our daily bread” we are calling upon the same Jesus whom we received at the start of the year from the chalice. Now I must make myself very clear, I am not nor have I stated anything about a “Spiritual Communion” as the Chruch of Rome teaches, all I am saying is we are calling down The All Holy Trinity to abide in us; to quench the spiritual thirst of our souls that most of us are experiencing.
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Mt14:17-19
The significance for us today in Jesus multiplying the 2 fish and the 5 loaves of bread is that - firstly through His (Jesus) grace the impossible is made possible and secondly, from something small comes something great. God has given us (humanity) the wisdom and the intelligence to use our small attributes such as our voices, artistic talents and academically smart and used them for His Glorification; becoming great teaches of the faith throughout history.
Covid has limited us in so many ways but people have used their creative minds and have found ways to still do charitable works. Perhaps we would visit a loved one weekly to keep them company, (Caregiving) however nowadays we video-call. In the past we delivered food parcels to the poor, but now we send it via courier. It is the attitude that - “Nothing can hold me back from helping someone” that will always prevail, and God will defiantly assist us if our intentions are pure!
Every Sunday in the privacy of my home chapel I offer the prayers of the Tipica (Litugy of the Word) and incense. After which, my family and I go for a walk around our local park and lake; feeding the birds, ducks and swans which bring us so much joy. However, something beautiful happens when I walk, I take the view in of all the things that we daily take for granted. The beauty of the 100-year-old trees, our native Kangaroos and all types of living creatures and I think, “All of this existence is because of His (God) unending and unwavering love for us.”
Hence, it is at that exact moment that I realize that I have just seen through the eyes of my creator; just as I had prayed earlier that morning! Moreover, this sense of understanding and awareness is not only capped for Sundays but should be a daily awareness that we must all strive for.
This Sunday we commemorate the Holy Prophet Elijah. In one of the icons depicted of the Holy Prophet, he is sitting on a rock in a dry and desolate desert with a Raven bird above him; holding in its beak a piece of bread. (Heavenly bread/Eucharist/Jesus/OUR DAILY BRAED)
Thus, God does not abandon His own, His people do not and shall not go without; from our first parents who fell Adem and Eve, to our Forefathers of the Old Covenant, the Holy Martyrs and Saints of the New Covenant up to us GOD SHALL PROVIDE! All this will be providing we strive to live by His commandments and live in Him via His Church and its Mystery's.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. Mt14:19-21
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