Sunday, July 28, is the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Mass readings: 2 Kings 4:42-44; Psalm 145:10-11, 15-16, 17-18; Ephesians 4:1-6; John 6:1-15

We have in today’s Gospel the very familiar Miracle of the Loaves and the Fishes. It contains a personal appeal directly from the Lord’s lips to our ears: “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” The Lord still bids us to get busy and join him in feeding the multitudes.

The text says, “Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him.” Jesus saw a large crowd. Do we? Often when we think of the Church, declining numbers come to mind (though the witness of 60,000 souls in Indianapolis last week was indeed heartening). This is because we tend to think in terms of the number of members. Jesus, however, thinks in terms of those who need to be reached. As we know that is a staggering number today.

“‘Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?’ … Philip answered him, ‘Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little. … There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fishes; but what good are these for so many?’” the text continues.

It is easy for us to feel overwhelmed. Notice that Jesus says, “Where can we get enough?”(food in this case) to solve the problem. It is not only up to us mere mortals to resolve the grave issues of the day. The Lord asks us to work with him. With him, we have a fighting chance!

Then, the text says, “Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. [The leftovers] filled twelve wicker baskets.”

We all know that this world is in an increasingly bad state and the problems feel overwhelming. What will we ever do with our “five loaves and two fishes?” Jesus says, “Bring them to me.” As we look at the huge problems before us, each of us must assess our “loaves and fishes”:

• I can work on my own conversion. A holier world must start with me. If I get holier, the world gets holier.
• I can pick up the phone and call a family member who I know is hurting.
• I can love my spouse and my children.
• I can spend time raising my children to know the Lord and to seek his kingdom.
• I can exhort the weak in my own family. With love, I can rebuke sin and encourage righteousness.
• If I am a priest or religious, I can faithfully live my vocation and heroically call others to Christ by teaching and proclaiming the Gospel without compromise.
• If I am young, I can prepare myself devoutly for a vocation to marriage, the priesthood or religious life.
• If I am older, I can seek to manifest wisdom and to provide a good example to the young.
• If I am elderly, I can prepare myself for death devoutly and display the desire for heaven.
• I can pray for this world and attend Mass faithfully, begging God’s mercy on this sin-soaked world.

Jesus tells us that we should bring him what we have so that we can get started together. Bring your loaves and fishes to Jesus. It begins with each one of us.