Blessing the Fish and Loaves
"Two years of drought in the Horn of Africa has plunged 10 million people into famine. As one Somalian mother with a newborn baby said: “Since I delivered, I haven't eaten a thing. I now need food, life, water and shelter - everything that a human being needs.” In the face of such suffering and misery, Isaiah’s promise of free super-abundant food, water, milk and wine seems almost hollow, and the idea of spiritual nourishment offers little comfort to the starving. But perhaps this message of eschatological plenty is not primarily for them. It is a challenge for us who have received so much from God’s hand. It’s for countries like ours where – so research says – 25% of the food bought is wasted. Indeed, just the bread and other cereal products thrown away in this country annually would be enough to sustain 30 million people! So, today’s Gospel says that Christ “broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds”. It is not the Lord who feeds the hungry directly, but rather, he provides abundantly, and he wants us to distribute what he gives us equitably and justly. It is we, who have received from his hand, who are directly responsible for feeding the hungry."
The rest of my sermon for today can be read here.
Detail from an embroidered cope made by the Dominican sisters at Stone, Staffordshire in the 19th-century.
Blessing the Fish and Loaves
"Two years of drought in the Horn of Africa has plunged 10 million people into famine. As one Somalian mother with a newborn baby said: “Since I delivered, I haven't eaten a thing. I now need food, life, water and shelter - everything that a human being needs.” In the face of such suffering and misery, Isaiah’s promise of free super-abundant food, water, milk and wine seems almost hollow, and the idea of spiritual nourishment offers little comfort to the starving. But perhaps this message of eschatological plenty is not primarily for them. It is a challenge for us who have received so much from God’s hand. It’s for countries like ours where – so research says – 25% of the food bought is wasted. Indeed, just the bread and other cereal products thrown away in this country annually would be enough to sustain 30 million people! So, today’s Gospel says that Christ “broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds”. It is not the Lord who feeds the hungry directly, but rather, he provides abundantly, and he wants us to distribute what he gives us equitably and justly. It is we, who have received from his hand, who are directly responsible for feeding the hungry."
The rest of my sermon for today can be read here.
Detail from an embroidered cope made by the Dominican sisters at Stone, Staffordshire in the 19th-century.