17th Sunday of the Year B July 28, 2024

Fr. Rick’s Two-Minute Homily for the 17th Sunday of the Year B
July 28, 2024, John 6:1-15
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/072824.cfm

So Much For So Little

Imagine sitting in the Rays game on an average night with about 18 to 20,000 in attendance. That’s about the size of the crowd Jesus fed, or maybe even bigger, counting the women and children in today’s gospel. Look around that stadium, and you get a sense of what it is like to feed those people five loaves and two fish.

You can feel for poor Philip, who points out very nervously that a year’s salary wouldn’t even give each of them a morsel. Yet, in the Lord’s hands, their meager resources satisfy every hungry person with plenty to spare.

In preparing this homily, a lady I anointed came to mind. She was dying of emphysema and was under hospice care. I felt so helpless when I saw how much she’s changed since my last visit with her.

Her speech was very labored as she gasped for breath with every sentence. I could see the anxiety and stress in her eyes. So, without delay, I heard her confession and gave her the Last Anointing of the Church.

When I finished the prayers, she looked up at me with eyes that enveloped me in her peace and said, I’m ready now. I am so much better. God can take me whenever he is ready for me.

My few loaves of prayers and two fish of holy oil seemed so tiny, like nothing up against such suffering. But in the Lord’s hands, she experienced a miracle of God’s grace, bringing relief to her soul and easing the agony of her emphysema. I saw her smile when I waved goodbye.

The sweet lady reminds me of today’s gospel: so many times we are Philip, holding on to this basket of five loaves and two fish and saying, “How can this be of any good against such odds?”

Jesus asks us to hand over our little so he can work wonders. He can’t do anything with it while we still hold on to it and keep it ourselves. Which loaves and fish is God asking us to entrust to his care right now? What do we have so little of that we are afraid to give it to God?

Maybe it’s time Jesus needs to be with us, or perhaps we need to be someone else. Maybe it’s a talent we can share with others who need us. Someone may need our mercy, or we may need to apologize for something we did. We know people who need an invitation to come to Mass.

God will turn our poor words into seeds of grace if only we place them in His hands.

In so many ways, people starve without our bread and fish.

Gospel Challenge:

As Jesus performs the miracle of the Eucharist in this Mass, let’s renew our confidence in Him and hand over whatever loaves and fish he needs.

One thing is sure: if we do, we won’t regret it.

Love Your Neighbor!

Peace be with you.

Fr. Rick Pilger, IC
pastor