18th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven...

Mt 14:13-21

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.

John the Baptist was beheaded on orders of King Herod. Did Jesus withdraw to keep himself safe from King Herod? His time had not yet come and therefore, he had to be careful.

But it was also possible that the reasons for going to a deserted place were (1) to pray and (2) to teach his disciples.

The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.

To follow Jesus to an out-of-the way place was an inconvenient thing to do. Why did such a huge crowd go through the trouble? Jesus taught in a way that touched his hearers. The crowds wanted to hear Jesus. But Jesus was also known as a wonder-worker. Maybe they wanted to see him work miracles or perhaps they themselves wanted to be cured.

Matthew probably had something else in mind when he related that the crowds followed Jesus to a deserted place. He might be thinking of the Exodus when the Hebrews left Egypt and journeyed through the desert. And this was purposeful on the part of Matthew because he was setting the stage for the miracle of the multiplication of the bread as a repetition of the miracle of the manna at the time of the Exodus.

The miracle of the multiplication of the bread is the only miracle that all four evangelists relate. This miracle must, therefore, be important. Not the miracle itself but the meaning of the miracle. As we shall see, the miracle points to the gift of the Eucharist.

“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”

An indication that the concern of Matthew was the Eucharist was the fact that having said that there were five loaves and two fish, only the loaves continue to be mentioned. At the end of the story nothing is said about fish left-overs.

Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples.

Another indication of the Eucharistic allusion are the verbs used to relate the multiplication of the bread: Taking, looking up to heaven, said the blessing, broke and gave. These are the same verbs one finds in the words of consecration in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I).

They picked up the fragments left over—twelve wicker baskets full.

The detail of twelve wicker baskets is no accident. They allude to the twelve tribes of Israel, another indication of Matthew´s intent to point to the Exodus and the gift of manna in the desert. The relationship between the Eucharist and the Exodus-manna is developed in John 6.

The greek word used for the left-over bread is ´klasmata´, a greek word which was used to refer to the Eucharistic bread in the early church. Another indication of the Eucharistic intent of the miracle.

Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.

According to a commentator, there must have been somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 persons whom Jesus fed. This gives us the impression of an abundance of food, so abundant that there were twelve baskets full of left-over bread.

What we have here is an image of a banquet (eating) where food is abundant. This image is precisely the image of the messianic banquet. In other words, Matthew is pointing to Jesus as the Messiah. This did not escape the notice of the crowd in John 6. In fact they wanted to declare Jesus as king, even by force--which prompted Jesus to escape.

...and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.

One last detail. Jesus did not distribute the bread to the crowds. It was the disciples who did this. From the practical point of view, this was the best thing to do. But Matthew goes beyond the practical level. He wants to drive home a point--the intermediary role of the disciples in the church.

17th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.

Mt 13:44-52

There are three parables about the reign of God in this Sunday's gospel.

* The parable of the buried treasure
* The parable of the pearl
* The parable of the net

The parables of the buried treasure and the pearl challenge the hearers of Jesus to accept God's reign even at the cost of giving up certain things in life because of its surpassing value. This giving up (sacrifice) is done with joy precisely because God's reign is worth it.

The parable of the net is similar to the parable of the wheat and the weeds. It poses two challenges. The first challenge is directed at a particular belief about the reign of God. Some christians believe that church members should all have achieved holiness. That sinners have no place there. But Jesus realistically asserts that not all who accept God's reign has achieved holiness. Some are still struggling. Some are still on the way. These have a place in God's reign.

The second challenge is directed at members of the Christian community who are not taking to heart the commitment of metanoia (change of heart leading to a change in life). God wants all men to be saved. But there is also such a thing as judgment. The good will be rewarded. The unrepentant will be punished.

16th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

The kingdom of heaven is like yeast.

Mt 13:24-43

There are three parables in today's gospel:

* The parable of the wheat and weeds
* The parable of the mustard seed
* The parable of the yeast

Jesus explains the meaning of the parable of the wheat and the weeds to his disciples. But parables are not explained. Moreover the details found in them are not meant to have a meaning. That is why this is not a parable. It is an allegory. It is probable that it was the early church that transformed the parable into an allegory. That is, it was the early church that gave the meaning of the details.

Parables seek to challenge the beliefs or behavior of the hearers.

The parable the wheat and weeds challenged the belief that the Christian community is composed only of holy people. In fact, both saints and sinners are found in it. And sinners are given all the time by God to repent and be converted. However, they should expect punishment should they fail to take advantage of the time given by God.

The first members of the early Church were mainly Jewish converts. It was true that the offer of the Kingdom was first given to the Chosen People. The parable of the mustard seed challenged these Jewish Christians to accept the fact that God's kingdom is open to everyone, Jews and Gentiles alike. The birds resting on the mustard shrub alludes to this. In fact, the church grew because of the gentiles coming to faith in Jesus Christ.

In the beginning the Christians were thought of as a small sect within Judaism comparable to the Pharisees, the Zealots and the Essenes. In fact, they still worshipped in the Temple. The parable of the yeast challenged not to think that they are insignificant. They have responsibility that is world-wide in scope. They are supposed to change the world. They are supposed to be a force for good.

A FORCE FOR GOOD

An acknowledged leader observed that the alumni of his school were harmless but useless. What he meant was that the alumni had the reputation of generally being honest citizens and good christians--and no more. They were useless in the sense that after so many years they didn't seem to make a mark in society. They were afraid of stepping forward and of being counted. They seem to prefer to be in the shadows. This leader says that must change.

His point was not that the alumnus must grab the limelight. He did not say that the alumnus must have his every move publicized. What he did mean was that every alumnus must understand that being a good citizen is not just about obeying the laws of the land. Being a good citizen means helping build up the society in which he lives.

Grounded in Christian values and inspired by the example of Jesus Christ, the Christian of today must become a yeast that will build up society. He must become a force for good.

15th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

I am away and am not sure if I can regularly upload my reflections for the Sunday. By September I hope to upload my reflections more regularly.

Mt 13:1-23

Parables are stories. And because they are stories, they catch the attention of listeners. But Jesus used parables not so much because they capture the interest of his audience but because parables challenge the beliefs or behavior of his audience. For example, Jesus used the parable of the Prodigal Son to challenge the unwelcoming attitude towards sinners of the Scribes and Pharisees. Obviously, the parable of the Seed and the Sower forces us to ask ourselves what kind of soil we are.

Jesus does not explain his parables. They are not meant to be explained in the first place. Each hearer will have to unlock for himself the meaning which the parable has for him.

Why then do we find Jesus explaining the parable to his disciples? Bible scholars say that the explanation is really how the early church understood the parable and which it then put in the mouth of Jesus.

How do I understand the parable?

1. The Path

Our parents, our teachers, our priests may have led us along the path of Christian life in our youth. But as we grew older we forgot what they taught us. We took a different road.

2. The Rocky Ground

Lack of roots. It is easy to pull plants that do not have roots. It is easy to give up Christian values that have been accepted superficially. This is the case when Christian values are based merely on emotions or on conformity. After a retreat one feels good and is inspired to be good. One is on fire. But after a week everything goes back to normal (balik sa dating ugali). It is easy to be sober in an environment where people do not drink in order to get drunk. But it is a different story when one's friends drink till they get drunk.

3. Thorns

Thorns (weeds) absorb the nutrients from the soil faster than the "good" seed. Consequently, the "good plant" grows but is stunted and produces small (inferior) fruits. Sometimes we allow other concerns to grab all our attention and all our energy so that almost nothing remains for our Christian life.

I remember watching the movie, "Oh, God! 2" In that movie, God helped a struggling singer to make it big. When he became successful, he forgot God and led a loose life. His attention and energy was absorbed by his profession and his dissolute living. Little or nothing was left for God.

4. Good Soil

The seed that fell on good soil gave an incredible yield, a hundredfold, sixtyfold, thirtyfold. The proof of a good soil is the fruit. As Jesus already said, "By their fruits you shall know them." Ingrid Betancourt was rescued from the FARC rebels. She never lost her faith. How do we know? She never gave up on prayer.

If God's word has taken root in your heart, what should we see? If God has taken possession of your soul, what do we expect to observe?

14th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.

Mt 11:25-30

STRUCTURE OF GOSPEL

The first part speaks about the learned and the intelligent vis-à-vis children:
I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones.

Then Jesus talks about his relationship with the Father:
All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son.

Finally, Jesus invites those who are burdened with the difficulties of life to come to him:
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.

COMMENTARY OF THE GOSPEL

You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned.

This reminds us of what happened in the Book of Daniel (2:3-13). While the wise men could not interpret the dream of Nabucodonosor, the meaning of the dream was revealed to Daniel who was a mere youth.

You have revealed them to little ones.

In Matthew’s gospel, the little ones are the disciples.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father.

“All things” refer to the Kingdom of God and its secrets.

No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son.

Here Jesus affirms in an indirect way his unique relationship with the Father.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.

In Judaism, the Law of God (both written and oral) is referred to as a yoke (Sir 51:26). In this context, the yoke is not thought of as heavy nor painful. In fact the yoke of the Law is spoken of as the joy of the yoke.

Jesus places his liberating interpretation of the Law in opposition to the legal-istic interpretation of Judaism. In other words, Jesus announces to men together with the renewed Law the joy of the Kingdom.