Pastor's Corner

28^th July, 2024

Today, the word of God unveils his unconditional love that feeds the people and satisfies their hunger forever. In the First Reading, Elisha is the prime example of generosity as he distributes among the hungry the barley loaves made from the first fruits. The Gospel narrative presents a similar image with Jesus and his disciples. It includes the persistent tension between human logic and the faith experience of those who trust God unconditionally. The disciples question how they are going to acquire enough food to feed such a large crowd. Jesus invites them to trust God, and makes present God's generosity as he multiplies the food available to satisfy the entire crowd, to the point of leftovers. The letter to the Ephesians confirms that in Jesus Christ, we are one people in the same Spirit.

Christ nourishes us by his presence so that we can feed our neighbors with the gifts we have received from the Lord: human kindness, forgiveness, support, and a deep understanding of our role in the Church and in society. For this reason, God's word presents us with a critical challenge-by the virtue of justice, we are called to satisfy the physical hunger of many who live in the periphery of our societies. But in true charity, our mission to feed others transcends the physical attention to their needs, and we are called to serve them by sharing the gifts that the Spirit has granted us. This challenge may inspire our parish liturgical committees as they prepare the Sunday commentaries, the Prayers of the Faithful, and music selection for the celebration. How do we maintain a balance in our call to feed others between the physical and the spiritual?

Rev. Juan J. Sosa
Pastor