Open Wednesday … Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, A

1. "All you who are thirsty, come to the water" (Is 55:1); so begins the First Reading.
Think of a time you were extraordinarily thirsty and finally you were able to get a cold drink.  Recall how good and refreshing was the drink.  But suppose the thirst is symbolic for a yearning, and the water stands for grace or faith or the spiritual life.
Can you apply the feeling accompanying your thirst for water to a yearning for more of God or of the Spirit or of the Kingdom? 
    Look up in Scripture other stories of God (directly or indirectly)  satisfying thirst:
          Jacob at the well:  Gn 7:4-10
         Water from a rock:  Ex 17:1-6, Nb 20:2-13
          Samaritan woman at the well:  John 4:4-42
    In Scripture, water is a sign that God is doing something new.  I think of water as a code word or clue that God is renewing.  The next time you have a drink of water, ask God to renew you.  For the rest of your life, every drink of water can be a reminder to say a quick prayer, "Holy Spirit, refresh me.  Spirit, renew me."

2  In the Second Reading, Paul mentions angels, principalities and powers.   The Jerome Biblical Commentary says these are "spirits of different ranks.  Whether they are good or evil is not clear; but in any case, they will not succeed in separating Christians from Christ."  It may interest some to know that medieval theology ranked angels into nine choirs or ranks, including three ranks called angels, principalities and powers.   Angel has two meanings: angel refers to a particular rank, and angel is a collective noun representing all the ranks.
   John J. Pilch in his book, The Cultural World of the Apostles (Liturgical Press, pp. 93-94), says that Paul was referring to evil spiritual entities. 
   The point Paul was making to the persecuted Christian community in Rome, and the lesson that we can take, is that the Risen Lord is victorious over death and over all evil.

3.  Let's compare Jesus' action in multiplying the loaves and the fishes with Jesus'
action at the Last Supper and with the priest's action at Mass.
   In the Gospel we hear: "Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to Heaven, He said the blessing, broke the loaves, gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds."  Compare these actions with the actions of Jesus at the Last Supper in the accounts in Matthew, Mark and Luke.  Also, compare Jesus' actions with His action at dinner in Emmaus (Lk 14:30).  Does the ritual of Mass include similar actions? 

4.  Fold paper fan-like, as if to make paper dolls.  Instead cut out fish.      When telling the story of the multiplication of loaves and fishes, hold what appears to be one fish.  When you get to the part of Jesus multiplying the fish, let the string of paper fish fall open.  This is a good prop to encourage young people to tell the story.  (Thank you, Lisa, for this idea!)
     In the same manner, a prop can be made for the multiplication of the loaves.

5.  In the account of the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes, focus  on "the fragments left over."  This week, whenever you have a project or activity, focus on the fragments left over.  How can you creatively use a bit of dough, pieces of construction paper, a few drops of milk, etc.? 
     Have a few moments of time left over?  Say a "Hail Mary" or brief prayers of praise.   
     Email me how these "fragments left over" inspired your prayer and/or action,  and I will post your thoughts.  Thank you.

6.  Again, focusing on the "fragments left over," what do you have that you no longer need?  To prepare to hear the Gospel, simplify.   Give what you no longer need to an organization like Goodwill or Salvation Army.   At our church, the annual yard sale multiplied to monthly yard sales and we now have quite a bit of money with which to do good works.  I think the Holy Spirit multiplied our good work.  : )

7.  St. John Chrysostom (347-407) writes of the fragments left over:  "And I am astonished, not alone at the great quantity of bread He made, but at the precise quantity that remained: that He caused that which remained over to be neither more nor less but what He willed, namely, twelve baskets, which is the number of the Apostles."  (The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers, Vol. 2, pp. 106, Ignatius Press).
     Let Chrysostom's sense of wonder sharpen your sense of wonder.
     Catholic writer, G. K. Chesterton, encourages a sense of wonder. He wrote "The Song of Quoodle" as if a dog penned the piece.  Quoodle laments the failings of humans--he calls them noseless--because humans cannot experience the wonders he experiences.

The brilliant smell of water,
The brave smell of a stone,
The smell of dew and thunder,
The old bones buried under,
Are things in which they blunder
And err, if left alone
….

The wind from winter forests,
The scent of scentless flowers,
The breath of brides' adorning,
The smell of snare and warning,
The smell of Sunday morning,
God gave to us for ours

They haven't got no noses,
The fallen sons of Eve.
Even the smell of roses
Is not what they supposes
….

     Be a Quoodle this week and sharpen your sense of wonder, not only at the words of Scripture but also at the marvels around you.

7.  Read in the Gospel of John the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 (John 6:1-13). 
John includes the young boy who initially gave the five loaves and two fish.  Do you like fish?
   Read in Matthew's Gospel the second miracle of Jesus multiplying the loaves and fish (Mt 15:32-39).  Learn to use references in the margin or in the footnotes to find accounts in Mark and Luke's Gospels.

8.  Having recently heard parables of grain and seeds, I found it interesting that St. Augustine (354-430) compares the 5 loaves to seeds: "… the five loaves were as seeds: not indeed cast into the earth, but multiplied by Him Who made the earth."  (ibid. see above, #7)
     Quoting Chrysostom again, "… he wrought the miracle from means found at hand" (ibid., emphasis mine).  Be creative; work wonders with what you have around you.   Let your smile reflect God's love to others.
     I found it interesting that several early Fathers of the Church related the five     barley loaves to the Law of Moses in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible.  Jesus breaking the 5 loaves signifies our Lord fulfilling the Law.   St. Augustine writes that Jesus, in breaking the loaves, breaks open for the disciples what was closed in the Law, and Augustine compares this enlightenment to Jesus explaining the Scriptures on the day of His Resurrection (Lk 24:13-35). (ibid. pp 108)

9.  The following picture is from The Miracles of Jesus retold by Selina Hastings.