As I was reflecting on this reading, I couldn't help but be drawn to two interconnected conclusions. In the Twin Cities, there's a parish of 5000 families. Most priests in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis recognize it as a reality and even a good. When I talk to priests about that parish in this diocese, most of them say that it's too big. They have an idea that two thousand families is the largest parish they can comprehend. Then, we turn to our gospel today and realize that our Lord had five thousand parishioners relatively early on in his career and he was able to work miracles with those folks. It should give us hope.
I also couldn't help but reflect on the change in interpretation that has happened with this particular passage. Ten or fifteen years ago, there appeared a novel interpretation for it, an interpretation I like to call "potluck supper" . The general way this bit of isogesis works is to say that, when the disciples found this little boy (mentioned in other gospels) with his five loaves and two fish who was willing to share his food, suddenly others in the crowd were willing to share what they had as well until they had left-overs. The implication of this interpretation is definitely true; most of us have more than we need and are unwilling to share what we have with others.
But, despite the fact that, in general, I think this is a good social message, it is not what our readings today intend to convey. It is tantamount to what Benjamin Franklin did with the Bible when he removed all that he felt was miraculous. I think there are other passages that make us reflect on the value of charity in putting God first and stuff second. The real message our gospel is inviting us to reflect on is entirely different and may be described by the following story.
There once was a little boy named Billy. Billy was a very quiet and shy little boy who liked to hide behind his mother's leg when company came over. One day at his Catholic school, Billy's teacher asked his class for a volunteer to read at mass the next week. Billy made his eyes drop to the ground to avoid the teachers gaze and did whatever else he could to not look like he had any interest whatsoever. But, the teacher was quite wise. She called Billy's name to get his attention and then asked him to read. Billy, being a quiet and shy little boy, knew he couldn't say no to his teacher regardless of how much he wanted to. So, when he got home, he turned to his mother to ask if she would write him a note excusing him from reading. Billy's Mom, however, was also wise. She told him that she wouldn't write the note but would, instead, help him to prepare and even take time off from work to come to mass. So, Billy had no choice but to turn to his Dad. However, Billy's Dad and Mom worked like a team so, when Billy asked, dad, who had been warned by Mom that Billy would probably try this, also told Billy that he would help him practice and would take time off from work to come to mass. So, when the day of mass arrived, Billy didn't have any excuse. His mom, dad, and teacher had all helped him to prepare and made sure he'd be ready. Billy stepped up to the microphone, hoping that the kids wouldn't laugh at him too loudly. Then, the amazing happened. Billy not only read the reading well, he was perfect. He didn't pop any "p's" and read slowly and clearly in order to convey the meaning.
Billy might not have known that he had been given the gift to proclaim the word, but he had and others could see it in him. That is, oftentimes, the way that spiritual gifts work, whether they are gifts like reading of the word of God, the gift of faith, or a vocation. They aren't merited. In other words you can't earn them. God gives them to us freely in order to build up the kingdom. And, oftentimes, we don't recognize the gifts that God has given to us. Certainly, the disciples didn't realize the gift that they had in Jesus or they wouldn't have tried to send the crowds away to get food. They would have just asked Jesus to give them food instead.
What is needed, instead, is a bit of initiative on our part to recognize the gifts that have been given to us. That why Jesus started out with five loaves and two fish in the first, because he works with us to save us. We need to be open to recognize the gifts that have been given to us and not run away from them. I see this many times in the area of vocations to priesthood, diaconante, and religious life. I have met so many men and women who have incredible gifts for ministry who seem to turn away from priesthood and religious life out of fear of loneliness. I always find this to be an ironic response when I think about how many times in a day that I want to get away from people for a while because I've been talking to so many. Plus, I've met an awful lot of people who say they don't feel like they have enough time for the studies surrounding becoming a deacong even though they are already involved in a million things in church that they could give up in order to be a deacon and give other people the oppertunity to do the things they were doing.
Now, you may be wondering what the connection was between the parish of 5000 families and the idea of vocation. When we see something we believe to be a problem, there are a number of ways to deal with it. We can either worry and fret about it and do what we can to turn away from it, like the disciples wanted to do in the gospel or we can see in the problem an opportunity for growth in the gifts that God has given to us. Where is God calling you to grow in the gifts he has given to you?
