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Conversations of Faith Blog

Saints Joseph and Rose of Lima Catholic Parishes

 

                          

 

How Can I Feed the Crowd?

 

By Timothy Andries

Conversations of Faith, June 2021

 

In last month's article, I discussed Matthew 14:16, where Our Lord tells His shocked disciples to feed the people with a few fish and some bread. This month I want to revisit that theme, but from the perspective of the Disciples. In the Gospel, the story that takes place with the chosen Twelve Apostles, you and I are the disciples. What does Our Lord expect us to do? How? 

 

Matthew 14:16 "No need to send them away, you give them something to eat."

 

Introduction

 

   1. Most people can pick up on the miracle worked by Jesus or the Eucharistic theme of feeding many from the body of Christ. I want to focus on what isn't always that obvious and what is our connection with the story itself. (See Matthew 16:13-21, Feeding the Five Thousand)

 

   2. In this story, there are some themes or truths that need to be made clear. Jesus is calling ALL of us to go and feed the people since we are His disciples. Naturally, we are confronted with the questions of how and with what. As I mentioned last month, it's natural that you and I see our limitations first.

 

   3. That's where we pick up the story and take the journey with the Disciples and Our Lord. In Matthews Gospel, they follow Jesus to a desert place, and that's where it begins. The task for you and me is to see where we are in this story.

 

I. Out into the Desert

 

   4. Sacred Scripture says that “He withdrew to a lonely place.” (Matt 16:13). For us, it means not that Jesus had enough drama and was tired of people, but that He wants us to get a bigger picture without distractions. Jesus' going out to the desert or lonely place is an invitation to go and meet Him, speak with Him and hear Him. Our going out to meet Him is following the example of the crowd and the Disciples. They didn't know what to expect or what Jesus would say, only that they were being led out into the desert. So notice the first steps. Jesus is over there in a quiet place. We need to go out and meet Him.

 

   5. In verse 14, Jesus sees the crowd of people that went out to find Him, and He had compassion on them. Several places in Scripture speaks of all kinds of people seeking Him out. There is a great need in our society and Church, whether or not it's spiritual or material poverty, homelessness, violence or suffering mentally or physically, or any other issue.  

 

   6. Calling us out into the desert was not meant for us to be lonely or isolated, but a calling to look outside ourselves and notice the suffering and great need around us. Now that doesn't mean that our suffering and needs are unimportant. The point is that we are all in need of some kind, and we need to meet those needs so that no one is alone in the desert of life.

 

II. What Does the Lord Want From Me? 

 

They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish." (Matt 16:17)

 

   7. We often think of the Disciples with full baskets running around amazed at the miracle they just witnessed. But let's not skip a step. After going to meet Our Lord in the desert place, the Apostles have compassion for the people. In other words, they asked Jesus to send the people away (Matt 16:15), not out of selfishness, but because they were concerned. “Lord, you have to help these people and send them somewhere where they can get food!”

 

   8. How many times in different situations have you felt that tug at your heart and felt that someone has to do or say something? We see the injustices and sin in the world and even in the Church. Some of us disciples will say, "I need to do something, but what?" Sometimes, we hope that someone else will help those in need or they needy should go and find help themselves. We can almost see the Apostles’ faces when Jesus says, “No need to send them away, you feed them.” (Matt 16:15) Just like we often do, we’re looking at Our Lord and the big crowd and think, “Surely you can’t be serious.” We ask, what can I do? And with what?

 

   9. The Disciples, in verse 17, are looking at themselves first. It doesn't mean they are self-centered or indifferent. Just like them, we tend to see our weaknesses and see ourselves as not gifted or qualified. Being gifted doesn't mean you have to have advanced degrees or a professional license. You can never be too old, too young or to uneducated to be a disciple and serve Our Lord and His Church.

   10. There are two points to make here. First, Jesus didn't say, "you feed them, then I'm out of here." Our Lord wanted His disciples to recognize Him first. Notice how Jesus, throughout the entire narrative, is the central figure. He led them out, moved their hearts to hear and see those in need. Jesus is also showing us the big picture that we don't have to save the world alone. If you put yourself in the scene, who in that scene has the power to save the world? Who took the scraps of loaves and fish and fed thousands?  Jesus has that power, and He wants us to use it, not just in us but through us.

 

   11. Secondly, the Apostles were not theologians, professional catechists, or experts either. At no point in Scripture or all of Sacred Tradition is there ever a time when Jesus asked for their resumes. Does Our Lord require faithfulness and perseverance? Yes, He does? Jesus doesn’t shy away from reminding us that it takes effort and sometimes suffering. We'll touch on that in part III. The Apostles, as we noticed, didn't start with full baskets, meaning they didn’t have all the answers or details. They say just like us, "Lord, this is all I have, what am I to do with it"?

 

III. So, What Do I Do With It?

 

"Bring them here to me." (Matt 16:18)

 

   12. Discerning a vocation is not just for seminarians and religious orders. Discerning means being able to determine the will of God in your life. So what does He want from me, and what do I do with it?  We go to meet Jesus in prayer and ask Him to show us what gifts we have. We can then look at those gifts and ask Him how to use them.

 

   13. The Apostles were concerned about the crowd of people. They discerned the people’s need, so did Our Lord. We can see the Apostles picking up their baskets with five loaves and two fish, still with a bewildered look on their faces. Think of it, Jesus said to feed them, and you just told Him that all you have is a few fish and some bread. And Our Lord's answer was, Ok, bring it to me and then you feed them, (Matt 16:16-18).

 

   14. Notice the central figure of Jesus Christ. He attracted the crown and told them to be seated. He then tells His disciples not to send them away but feed them. When we tell Him we have little to give, He says, then bring it to me. To present your gifts or desires to Jesus is an act of faith and trust. Our Lord wants to act through them, and we need Him to tell us how. We, like the crowd, need to sit at His feet to be fed and instructed by the Divine Teacher.

 

   15. Our Lord is not expecting us to solve every problem by ourselves. But to do our part with and through Him. What are these scraps, you ask? Those scraps are those things that motivate and inspire you, not just your abilities. The ability will come from the Our Lord and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will use His gifts to teach us how, when, and where to use our gifts.

To quote St. Theresa of Calcutta, “God doesn’t expect us to do great things, but do small things with great love."

 

   16. I remember when I was an altar boy, I had my first inspiration to learn the faith to help others understand it. Grant you that also requires me to grow in faith, too. It was a passion, a desire I've had for a very long time. I looked into a few catechetical programs, even the Permanent Deaconate along the way. Even though I didn't have the exact name for it, the passion and desire were always there. There is a joy when I study our Catholic faith or Scripture. I felt and feel like this is where God wants me to be. Catechesis is the target area, but I haven't hit the "bull's eye" yet to get to the where and how.

 

     17. I remember telling my mother that same story, even telling her how many times I’ve deleted everything and told myself, “Nope, it's not me."  But every time I delete and say no, it comes back and says yes. My mother looked me right in the face and honestly asked, "Can you take a hint"? No, seriously, sometimes we have to recognize that we are asking God the same question and getting the same answer.

 

   18. I had to stop looking at things like I’m 49 years old, I can't quit my offshore job become a teacher or a full-time catechist. I don’t have a Theology degree or Catechist Certificate, and with my offshore schedule, what am I supposed to do? So as the title suggests, I had to say, "Ok Lord, what do you want me to do? His answer, "Bring it here to me." (Matt 16:18). I had to quit talking myself out of it by making the usual mistake of focusing on what I can do with my gifts but what can Our Lord do with them.

 

   19. Our gifts, talents and experiences are unique. What is it in your life that gives you that feeling of connection or affirmation of "this is me"? It may be volunteering at the parish, the women's shelter, or the homeless shelter. It can be as simple as sharing your faith with a friend or your grandkids. Disciples are found bagging groceries at Walmart, driving a school bus or planting sugar cane. They can also be found on oil rigs and harvesting sugar cane. They can be found in big families and in the single parents. Disciples are this sick in hospitals and nursing homes as well as the care givers that tend to them. The point is that God has a plan for all of us. We have to go out into the desert to meet Him (pray), ask Him to show us what we have (discern), then bring it to Him and let Him guide us (put your discipleship to use).

 

IV. Conclusion

 

      20. Gifts aren't just for the super-smart or for certain classes of people. Some of the holiest saints were just simple ordinary people using what few loaves and fish they had. If Our Lord wants you to accomplish more, you'll know because He'll tell you. The secret is learning to listen for His direction. Let it be a comfort and bring you peace knowing that whatever you do, no matter how small or how big, if you're using the gifts the Lord gave you, then He is pleased.

 

   21. So no matter your age, education level, or occupation in life, all of us in some way or another have gifts to use. We need to discover them and use them.

 

"A farmer doesn't first harvest his crops. He prepares the field then plants seeds."

 

MAY Conversations of Faith Blog
Saints Joseph and Rose of Lima Catholic Parishes

                           



“You give them something to eat”.

By Timothy Andries
Conversations of Faith, May 2021