August 4, 2002

At Sunday brunch buffets, friends and strangers flock towards tables where a super-abundance of delicacies are beautifully presented for all to eat and drink and have their fill. In today's Scriptures and in our Sunday Eucharist, God's super-abundant love for all people manifests itself in meals that nourish, not for a day, but for a lifetime.

"Look at all this food! It is incredible! We cannot possibly eat all this." That is what you hear at Sunday brunches when people see buffet tables piled high with generous plates of bakery, eggs, and meats. We can almost hear the crowd of people whom Jesus fed in today's Gospel saying the same things. Isaiah also describes this unheard of abundance of nourishment for all who come listen to the Lord, while Paul explores with certainty the limitless supply of love that "comes to us in Christ Jesus." And, unlike that Sunday brunch, all of this bounty is absolutely free for all.

Every time we gather for the Eucharist, we enjoy this generosity of God. We do what Jesus did in today's Gospel. We break bread during the "Lamb of God." We give it to one another to eat communion. And, this meal nourishes us with enough love for ourselves and also leftovers to share! Unheard of! It is a miracle!

When Jesus said to the apostles, "give them something to eat yourselves, " he was also speaking to us. Expecting Jesus to feed the world without our help is not an option. When we encounter people who are hungry, will we "dismiss them" to buy "food for themselves?" How can we share the fragments left over after our Eucharistic meal so that all people can "eat their fill?"

SO THE QUESTION: WHEN HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED GOD'S SUPERABUNDANT LOVE?

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