August 3, 2008

Matthew 14:13-21

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

               

 

          Today’s third reading is from the Gospel according to Matthew. Specifically, it is the beginning of the fourth narrative section of the Gospel and the beginning of the division called “Book Four – The Kingdom Becomes Church.” In context, it is immediately after Jesus’ parable discourse of Chapter 13 on the Kingdom of God. At the end of that sermon, Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth. He is rejected there by his own people, and his ministry in Galilee is now over.

 

          In the liturgy plan of Matthew, Jesus has announced the arrival of the Kingdom of God. By and large, the crowds have rejected his message. Now Jesus Himself is rejected by them, and so He withdraws from the crowds and towards those disciples who become his followers.

 

          Matthew begins the “Book of the Church.” He gathers together incidents from the life of Jesus and begins to present a basic idea of what the church will be. Basic and essential to the life of the Church is the Bread (Eucharist). Matthew tells the story of the feeding of the 5,000, the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

 

          The story triggers several images from the Old Testament, images in which God’s love and care for His people is symbolized by the providing of nourishment. From Exodus, the God of Israel supplying Moses with manna from heaven to feed his people. From II Kings, Elisha the prophet, multiplying bread to feed a hundred men; from Isaiah, the Kingdom image as a lavish feast with limitless food and drink. No wonder, then, that Matthew and the early Church saw in this miracle such strong symbolism. It does, in fact, become prophecy in act, an action foreshadowing the Christian Eucharist.

 

          This miracle of the loaves and fishes is the only miracle of Jesus recounted in all four Gospels. Especially in Matthew’s version is the Eucharistic symbolism particularly strong. With rather solmen liturgical overtones, Jesus “takes, blesses, breaks, gives.” Even the gestures and words, “He looked up to heaven,” are used today in the consecration prayer at Mass. They come from this miracle story and not from the Last Supper Institution of the Eucharist.

 

          Matthew places this miraculous action of Jesus within the scope of a work of compassion. It would seem however that Jesus’ concern was not only to satisfy a material hunger. At a deeper level, Jesus presents Himself as the One able to nourish the people with the food to satisfy the deepest hungers of the Spirit. At a deeper level, Jesus anticipates the messianic banquet of the Church, the Eucharist, which in turn anticipates the final banquet in the Kingdom of God at the end times. At a deeper level, Jesus uses this action as a sign of the abundance of God’s love and as a sign of the fulfillment of his promises to his people.

 

- A Reflection -

 

          In the Ordinary course of liturgical planning, the Sunday readings are chosen so that the first and the third readings “go together.” They have the same theme. They reinforce each other. The second reading is entirely independent of the other two. It stands alone as another lesson to be learned, as an alternate topic for the homily. Rarely do the 3 readings “go together.” When they do, it is coincidence. Today is one of those rare coincidences.

 

          All three readings speak of God’s care, graciousness and love. Most eloquently, Paul speaks of the love that God has for each of us, as he says that nothing can separate us from that love. Even the worst things that the mind can conjure up can not keep God’s love from us. Even at one’s lowest and darkest, the love that God has for us operates within the deepest part of our being to surround and comfort us, to reshape and recreate us in love and peace.

All we need to do is respond to that love, to accept in faith, to simply let His love take over our lives.

 

          Matthew, too, speaks of God’s love. At a deeper level, the feeding of the 5000 by Jesus foreshadows the time. He will feed us with Himself. It symbolizes the greatest act of Love. God extends to us the gift of Himself through His Son. The image of earthly food, bread and fish and heavenly food, Jesus Himself, symbolizes the love that God has for us. The 12 baskets of left-over fragments symbolize the abundance of God’s love, a love that fills the most fundamental yearning of every human heart, a love that is boundless and free, with no strings.

All we need to do is respond to that love, to accept in faith and let His love take over our lives.

 

          Deutero-Isaiah issues the invitation to God’s love not only to the Israelites of the exile, but to us here and now. The food and drink he offers symbolize the richness of the love He has for us. His invitation is universal. It extends to all. It aims individually and speaks to the individual heart, to yours and to mine. Come you who thirst and long for God, come with your restless heart, and find peace in His love. Come without pay, without cost and know that His love is free. It is unfailing and unconditional. We do nothing to deserve or merit. Come, you shall delight in rich fare. God’s love has no restriction. It includes all, even the sinner. It loves beyond one’s basic needs. It fills your nothingness beyond overflowing.

All we need to do is respond to that love, to accept in faith and let His love take over our lives.

 

          Even the psalmist today knows where of I speak, for he praises God today –

“You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”

 

All we need to do is respond, accept, and let his love take over. AMEN!

 

August 10, 2008

Matthew 14:22-33

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

               

 

 

          Today’s third reading is from the Gospel according to Matthew. It takes up from last week’s Gospel reading, and it continues more of the miracle stories found in this “Book of the Church” narrative section.

 

          As Matthew tells the story, after the miraculous feeding of the 5000 at the lakeshore, Jesus withdraws to the mountains for a time of prayer and solitude. Meanwhile the disciples start out in a boat to cross the lake battling a heavy sea. They were “tossed about in the waves raised by strong head winds.” The stage is set for one of Matthew’s most effective passages, Jesus miraculous walking on the water over a stormy sea and his encounter with the disciples. It is a miracle story reworded in the Gospels of Mark and John. Matthew enriches his story with dramatic details about Peter also walking on the water. Only Matthew records this incident.

 

          Remembering that we are in Book IV of Matthew’s Gospel, “The Kingdom Become Church,” the incident becomes a symbolic scene. The disciples in the boat become the Church, threatened by the night that represents evil, while Jesus is separated from them. In the great need of the Church, when things seem hopelessly lost, the Lord comes to her to save her, conquering the evil forces of night and the murky waters of chaos and death.

 

          Matthew begins the first of what is known as the Peter-tradition stories about Peter. They highlight him as someone special in the life of the early Church. This particular story seems to begin the developing of Peter’s faith. It is a story about faith and the presence of the Lord.

 

          In the darkness of the night, the disciples think they see a ghost and panic. Even after Jesus assures them, “It is I. Do not be afraid,” Peter, almost with more daring than good sense, asks Jesus’ permission to share his miraculous powers. He asks Jesus for an invitation. “Invite me to come to you across the water.” Jesus enables him to imitate the miracle. “Come!” he says to Peter.

 

          Peter accepts the challenge, but he is frightened. In his fear, he begins to falter. In his fear of the powers of nature, he begins to doubt the power of Jesus, and he begins to sink. With his imperfect faith, a faith that is still afraid, Peter calls on Jesus to save him. Jesus stretches forth his saving hand. It was this saving act of Jesus even more than his miraculous walking on the water that elicited from the disciples their confession of faith. “Beyond doubt you are the Son of God!”

         

          Matthew’s story is a beautiful study of faith. It exemplifies the kind of faith we all experience from time to time. It is an impetuous faith that sometimes grows weak and panics in time of crisis, even though it is grounded in trust, confidence and love. It is a strongly avowed faith that still experiences the presence of fear. It is a story that underscores the doubt that co-exists with faith and the tension that exists between the two.

         

          It is also a story that underscores the kind of faith necessary for discipleship in Jesus. This faith emerges stronger and deeper from every crisis and recognizes its need for the saving presence of God. It knows and experiences the reality that God is ever present and always responsive to the needs of His people.

 

          It is a story that poses the question, “Do I really believe in the saving presence of God in my own personal life …?”

 

August 17, 2008

Matthew 16:13-20

20st Sunday in Ordinary Time

         

Today’s third reading is from the Gospel according to Matthew. It continues the narrative section of Book IV, “The Kingdom Become Church.” It constitutes the second “Peter-tradition” story of Matthew’s Gospel. The passage records Peter’s sublime profession of faith and his subsequent commission by Jesus as the leader of the new faith community.

          It happens at Caesarea Philippi, the city of may gods, birthplace of the mighty Pan, the god of nature, city of fourteen Baal worship temples, of the great white marble temple built to the godhead of Caesar. In such dramatic surrounding, Jesus poses the fundamental question, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” It is a solemn, momentous question! The disciples “play back” to Jesus the spectrum of popular opinion. Jesus rejects those inadequate answers and demands that his disciples speak for themselves. “But you- who do you say that I am?”          

          Peter answers as spokesman for the disciples. He has been gifted with understanding by the Father and blessed by Jesus for his gift. He confesses solemnly his unflinching act of faith; “You are the Messiah, Son of the Living God!” He is the transcendent Son of the Living God who alone has life in Him and creates life in others.         

          Peter, having recognized the true Christ, now has his own true nature revealed with the conferral of a new name by Jesus. The name reveals his true roles within the community. Jesus calls Peter the “Rock,” conferring on him a new title that will become a second name. Up to that time in ancient Palestine, “Peter” had not been used as anyone’s personal name, and so it should not be thought of as a personal name with a secondary meaning. It was simply a word (petros in Greek, kepha in Aramaic) that meant “rock,” nothing more. Jesus was not changing one first name to another. He was simply conferring on Simon a new title, the “Rock”.       

          The incident recalls the Old Testament tradition of Yahweh conferring new names on some important figures of salvation history, notably the case of Abraham. Conferral of a new name indicates new power and direction, a break with; a former way of life, to undertake the Lord’s work. The significance of “rock” is that it is firm and supplies a solid foundation for building. Abraham was considered to be the rock from which the people of Israel were carved, the rock from which God built the world. Now Peter will become the “Rock”, the human patriarch and the foundation stone of the new people of God,

          “On this Rock I will build my Church”, Jesus says. Matthew becomes the only evangelist to use the term Church (and he uses it only twice in his Gospel). This Church, the Assembly of God’s people, this people that Jesus will save from their sins, will find a firm foundation in Peter.  

          Peter’s role as foundation rock brings with it new authority. Peter is given the power of the keys. Pulled from Isaiah, Peter is the new Eliahim with the power to bind and loose. He has the authority to decide which actions are permissible or not according to the teaching of Jesus. He has the authority to admit or exclude people from the community.       

          With the keys, Peter controls as head and ruler. He is able to give men access to God’s Kingdom. With the keys, Peter has the power to make decisions for the universal Church. God Himself will ratify his decisions as ruler of the Church!        

          Few passages in the New Testament have been as exhaustively studied as the testimony to the primacy of Peter given by Matthew. Not all Christians agree on the interpretation and value of this key passage in this Gospel. That notwithstanding, the passage remains basic to understanding the concept of authority that grew in the early Church.