Expect to be fed! (18.A)

I began my brief acting career in 1968 by appearing in a production of the musical “Oliver!” I auditioned for the starring role of Oliver Twist, but the director said, as kindly as he could, that I didn’t look undernourished enough.

Still, as a chubbier kid, at least I could sing the show’s opening song with real conviction. The title was “Food, Glorious Food.”

I’m afraid to say I’ve been singing that number ever since. My doctor says it’s really not the best theme song for a middle-aged man piling on the pounds in a pandemic.

But there are good reasons why people have been eating more these days, and baking bread especially. Food bring us comfort, and cooking and baking for others expresses our love and concern.

Is there any wonder that Jesus chose to give himself to the world in the form of bread and wine? As Psalm 104 says, God brings forth food from the earth—wine to gladden the human heart and bread to strengthen it.

The miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fish is also called the feeding of the five thousand. But even if the Lord gave me the power to work miracles, it would be against the law to feed more than fifty!

However, I am very happy to tell you that we have started to celebrate our First Communion Masses, feeding youngsters for the first time with the Bread of Life. And although they’re in much smaller groups, these children have a couple of things in common with those gathered with Jesus in today’s Gospel.

First, they waited a long time. Like the crowd that waited until evening, these young people received their First Communion late in the day. And second, they were hungry. Like the crowd that had not been fed all day, they were more than ready for the breaking of the bread.

First Communion Masses are always a joy. The faith and devotion of many of the young people is heartwarming. This year, though, these celebrations—there are four or five of them to accommodate the numbers—remind us that Jesus continues the miracle of multiplication today, in a far more wonderful way.

And he wants to feed tired and hungry people today and every Sunday. While the live streamed Mass answers some of our needs, it’s failing if it doesn’t make us hunger for the full meal deal.

Earlier in the pandemic, I talked to some parishioners who simply ached to receive Communion, and I watched as others wept when finally they could.

That hasn’t been everyone’s experience. Some people I’ve talked with just love the live stream and haven’t missed going to Mass very much. That doesn’t automatically mean they’re second-class disciples; it might just mean you’re not inclined to reflection, to thinking much about spiritual things. People are different, and some are more introspective than others.

 But it does mean it’s time to do some thinking now.

Whether you’ve been able to return to Mass, or whether health concerns are still keeping you home, the miracle of two thousand years ago—the overflowing and loving care Jesus shows in today’s Gospel—can move us to think long and hard as we near the six-month mark of the pandemic.

The Church had to hit the “pause” button for public Masses; now that we are able to gather again, even in a limited way, each one of us needs to spend some time thinking about a gift we might have taken for granted. Feeding five thousand or five million people with loaves and fish isn’t even close to being as wonderful as the Mass.

God no longer feeds us with miraculous bread and fish, but with the Bread of Angels which is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ his Son. And that bread not only promises eternal life but gives us strength for our journey on earth.

Today’s Psalm says the hand of Lord feeds us. He satisfies our needs and desires. So let’s sit down today with the crowd in that deserted place, in the quiet of our hearts. Is the Lord feeding us? Is he answering all our needs?

If that’s not what we’re experiencing, let’s start to expect more. Because the Eucharist is real food—glorious food—for our hungry souls.