Mother Angelica, of EWTN fame, once said, “Sometimes for God to do the impossible, he first asks us to do the ridiculous.’ The first reading is an example of that when the man bringing twenty barley loaves is asked to set them before a hundred people. Doing the ridiculous requires letting go of how we see the world and trusting that God has a plan. Many major industries today were started by someone doing the ridiculous at a time when their efforts would seem doomed to failure. I remember hearing of a man who in the 1940s started a farm in Hawaii to produce nuts. Everyone told him he was crazy as it takes fifteen years for the trees to mature and produce a good yield. In 1970s Mauna Loa nuts were a big bit and made a significant contribution to the macadamia nut industry.
We need to remember, that as the psalm says today, ‘The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.” It is God who provides. As Paul says we need to heed the Lord and “live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience”. How hard it is for us to live the way we are called to live, trusting in God.
The Gospel today echoes the first reading. Philip sets the stage for the story, yet even Andrew and Peter don’t yet trust that Jesus can pull things off. Interestingly a key person in this story is a nameless young boy. He willingly gives away his food trusting that God will provide. How often are we called to be like that nameless person? We don’t get our name in print. We don’t get a thank you. We don’t get recognition for our charitable deeds. Yet, our meager contributions can make a significant impact on what God intends to accomplish.
Countenance of God 