“Moving from ‘murmuring moments to experiencing multiplying miracles!'”
(Based on 2 Kgs 4:42-44, Eph 4:1-6 and Jn 6:1-15 – 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B)
An elderly priest was addressing a group of young couples.
In his sermon, he remarked: “Remember that ‘life is about moving from murmuring to multiplying!’
Move from murmuring about your grudges, to multiplying your gratitude!
Move from murmuring about your insufficiencies, to multiplying your interconnectededness!
Move from murmuring hateful complaints, to multiplying healthy communication with each other!”
Can we make our life a ‘movement from murmuring moments to experiencing multiplying miracles?”
The Gospel of the Day is the remarkable miracle of multiplication…
… as the Lord leads his disciples and people from the “tempting world of murmuring to the transformative life of multiplication!”
The feeding of the people, by the mighty deed of multiplication of the loaves, in the only miracle…
… besides the miracle of the Resurrection of Jesus
… that finds a mention in all the four Gospels.
And each of the Gospels also have something unique to speak of this incident:
Mt 14: 13-21: mentions about five thousand men being fed, “without counting women and children”
Mk 6: 31-4: mentions of making the people to be seated in “groups and clusters of hundreds and fifties”
Lk 9: 10-17: also mentions of five thousand men and being seated in clusters of fifty and also mentions Jesus, “looking up to the heavens”.
Jn 6: 5-15: mentions of a “little boy”, who is the provider of the five loaves and two fish and also that “the Lord gave thanks for it”, before distributing it to the people.
The Gospel of the Day presents this account of the multiplication from the eyes of St John, the Evangelist.
There are some outstanding features of this “massive” miracle that we can highlight
A. The multiplication of the loaves fed a massive crowd.
Five thousand men could mean, that including women and children, it would have easily exceeded probably over twenty thousand people!
This easily was the miracle that Jesus performed with the greatest number of witnesses and participants.
B. The multiplication of the loaves was a unique miracle
There are other miracles of Jesus, mentioned in the Bible, which could fall in the following categories…
Miracles of healing: Curing of many sicknesses and diseases
Miracles over nature: Powerful control over the forces of nature
Miracles of exorcism: Casting out demons and liberating people from them
Miracles of transformation: Transforming an object to something else or even of people
Miracles of restoration: Restoring people to their original state of life and good condition
But the miracle of the “multiplication” is unique and special
Multiplying “available resources” to be made available for a massive crowd of people!
C. This miracle of the multiplication also reveals some of the finest qualities of Jesus, the Messiah
- His sensitivity to the needs of the people
While the disciples were just eager to send the crowd away, Jesus reaches out to them in compassion and love. - His ability to effect changes in the mindset and thinking-pattern
The disciples could see no way, in that desert to feed the gigantic crowd. They had only question marks before them.
But Jesus, sheds new light on their minds and helps them find a solution, even in the seemingly impossible situation
- His perfect control in a situation of panic
Though there would have been panic in the minds of the disciples, Jesus impresses upon them the fact, that He is in total charge and in complete control.
As the Lord and Creator, He knows exactly what is to be done in the moment of crisis and calamity.
- His attitude of raising His heart in thanksgiving at every situation
We read that before the actual multiplication happened, Jesus “took the loaves, and gave thanks…” (Jn 6: 11)
It’s amazing to imagine that situation:
… Thousands and thousands of people, eagerly waiting, hungry and exhausted….
… Having just Five Loaves and the Two Fish – which was scarcely able to meet the hunger of a couple of people…
… Jesus still raises His Heart in thanksgiving and gratitude!
It is tremendous faith that allows a person to raise one’s mind in gratitude, even in the midst of utter poverty, deep need and barren nothingness!
- His consciousness to gather the remaining pieces, after the miracle
The Lord, “Who came save and seek the lost” is also highly mindful of gathering up the remaining broken pieces of the loaves.
The disciples get trained to become aware of “what is often considered as wasteful” can also become resourceful!
The disciples are reminded that even things that are usually “discarded” and regarded as being “unwanted and useless,” can become sources of strength and nourishment!
Let us reflect on the following:
Am I able…
(1) To be sensitive and responsive to the needs and desires of those around me?
(2) To see the brighter side of life, with the Grace and strength from God, and rub the fragrance of this positivity onto others in my life?
(3) To rise above the situations of panic and disturbances, and be calm, knowing that I have a God, who is ultimately in total and perfect control of every situation of turmoil?
(4) To lift up my heart to the Lord, in thanksgiving, at every moment and situation of life, even when the chips are down or when I pass through the dark tunnels and the despairing valleys of life?
(5) To be aware of the “unwanted” talents in me, the “excess” people of the society and the “discarded” peripherals of the world, and seek to make the best use of them and collect them to be part of the mainframe scene?
Let us allow the Lord to lead us…
… from the “tempting world of murmuring to the transformative life of multiplication!”
We seek today specially the intercession and inspiration of St Alphonsa, the first woman of Indian origin to be canonised as a saint…
… as we give heed to her words:
“I have abandoned myself to the Lord fully; let Him do to me as it pleases Him!”
Let us move from “murmuring moments to experiencing multiplying miracles!”
God Bless! Live Jesus!
📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – GRACE AND JUSTIFICATION
According to the Lord’s words “Thus you will know them by their fruits”…
… reflection on God’s blessings in our life and in the lives of the saints offers us a guarantee that grace is at work in us… and spurs us on to an ever greater faith and an attitude of trustful poverty. (CCC # 2005)
Reflection Capsules 