💖 HOMILY - AUGUST 5 💖

First Reading - Jeremiah 28:1-17

Gospel - Matthew 14:13-21

If we look around, we will certainly observe that everyone is looking for something in his or her life. Some are looking for attention, others for recognition, and some others for prestige and status. There are still some who are looking for meaning, purpose, and happiness in life. The readings of the day challenge us to look for things that can give us meaning and fulfillment in life.

The first reading presents the prophecies of two prophets for the people: Hananiah and Jeremiah. The difference between the two prophecies lies in the intention behind them. Hananiah gives a consoling prophecy according to the expectations and tastes of the people, so he was accepted by them. In contrast, the prophecy of Jeremiah demanded conversion and a change of life from the people. Consequently, Jeremiah was rejected because he did not speak according to the people's desires and was not believed. However, this passage reminds us that we should be willing to put ourselves into the shoes of God rather than expecting God to get into our shoes. It also reminds us that false appreciation and acceptance can't last long, as seen in the case of Hananiah, who won the acceptance of the people but it was short-lived. This passage invites us to have a purpose that aligns with the will of God.

In the gospel, we come across people who are looking for Jesus. They have many intentions and purposes; some are sick and others want to hear from Jesus. Jesus looks at their purposes with compassion. He heals the sick and later satisfies them with bread and fish. This gospel presents two approaches: firstly, the purpose of the crowd for following Christ was to get the sick healed and probably to hear him; secondly, Jesus responds to the crowd with compassion by healing their sick and feeding them to the full.

The feeding of the multitude enunciates two implications: firstly, it has eucharistic gestures of "taking, giving thanks, breaking, and distributing," showing that the crowd represents a special group of people who share in the eucharistic banquet; secondly, the crowd was satisfied, and from the fragments, twelve baskets were collected. The collection of twelve baskets and the satisfaction of the crowd symbolically present the eschatological role of the Messiah, who satisfies the twelve tribes of Israel with the eschatological banquet.

My dear friends, the readings pose a question to us: What do we look for in life? Is it a material or short-lived purpose, or a purpose that gives meaning and fulfillment? The people of Israel were distracted by their short-lived purpose on their journey, but the crowd in the gospel looked for Christ and walked to find him, and ultimately, they were satisfied. Let's look for Christ in our lives, and he will give us meaning and fulfillment. He will satisfy us with the bread of eternal life and give us a sense of purpose that is not short-lived but far-reaching.

May God help us center our purpose on Jesus and find real fulfillment.