Readings:
Jeremiah 28:1-17
Matthew 14:13-21
Today’s gospel, the multiplication of bread invites us deep into the mystery of Eucharist where Jesus becomes the manna in the desert narrated in the exodus event. To me what I see being proclaimed in this reading is the intimacy of God in giving himself to us and wanting to be consumed by us. The mystery of the Eucharist is by fair something I could spend my life pondering its oddness: God wants me to eat him?
Furthermore, not only just eat him but be filled by him for eternity. I ask myself do I let myself be full of God? Do I let God feed me? Fill me? Sustain me? Be enough for me?
The story of the manna in exodus always captured my attention in the detail of they weren’t allowed to keep any of it overnight. God wanted to every morning feed them freshly, not just once in a very interpersonal way. But be in continuous relationship and nourish his people every morning. However we hear in the story that some, out of mistrust and scarcity that God will not deliver the next morning, try to hoard the food overnight.
I wonder in my own life where do I show mistrust of God? Trying to hoard things out of independence, thinking I have to do it myself and that I can’t trust God to provide.
We must be like the crowd and ask, “give us this bread always”. To have deep faith and trust that God does and will feed us in his bread, his eucharist, his love shown on the cross.
Ask yourself today: Do you let God feed you?
Claire O’Donohue is a current Oxley Passionist Youth Retreat Team member. While also in her final year of university, she is completing her bachelor’s degree with a major in visual art and theology.