There is always more

We hear about two miracles in today’s scripture passages.  First, the second book of Kings relates the story of food that is presented to Elisha: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain (2 Kings 4:42) ... and in the gospel account, when Jesus asked the disciples to feed the crowds, Andrew pointed out a boy ... who had five barley loaves and two fish (Jn 6:9).  In both cases, the humble gifts that were presented by human hands were miraculously multiplied in order to feed vast crowds of people.

This miracle is repeated every week, right here at the Eucharistic table, and it is also repeated every day in the lives of God’s people.  Whenever we offer ourselves, whenever we use our talents to share what we have with those in need, God takes our humble gifts and multiplies their effect in the lives of those who receive them.

Sometimes the gifts we share can be tangible, and at other times, they are not, but every gift – including the example we set by the lives we lead – can become a source of nourishment for the faith life of others.

This past week, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae (July 25, 1968) regarding the transmission of human life, the Bishops of Canada published a Pastoral Letter entitled The Joy of Married Love.  This Letter presents the teaching of Pope Paul’s encyclical in an accessible and uplifting style which is aimed at inspiring and providing encouragement to married couples.  The Bishops also acknowledge the teachings of Pope John Paul II and the newest insights, perspectives and reflections on the gift of marriage from Pope Francis.

We may not always be aware of the gifts that God has offered to us, or perhaps we choose not to recognize them.  Yet, regardless of whether or not we perceive the blessings we receive as gifts freely given to nourish us as we continue our journey through life, God will always continue to make them available to us, until one day we come to realize the true value of all that we have received.

In the meanwhile, Saint Paul urges us today to lead lives worthy of the calling to which we have been called (Eph 4:1).  As we begin to discover and to appreciate the value of human love as it is lived out in our midst, as we come to value more and more the precious gift of the special food that God offers to us in the Eucharist, we will become more and more humbled by the great privilege that we have been afforded.  From the author of these gifts, we will continue to learn gentleness and patience, bearing with one another in love and making every effort to maintain unity in the Spirit and the bond of peace (Eph 4:2-3).

And as we continue to use these gifts to strengthen the lives of those who are in need, we will come to realize that the meagre offerings we have contributed are multiplied by God’s grace, and the result is a great abundance of blessings.