The WORD in other words (2009) by – Sister Tessa Artita SSpS – Manila
Friday 2nd Week of Easter
My Indian friend Father Henry took me to one of his sub-stations in the southern highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG), for the Sunday mass. The sight of a small crowd of men, women, and children squatting on the grass welcomed us after almost two hours of winding ride round huge mountains and rugged terrain. The scene from the today’s Gospel became very alive to me as I saw the crowd getting bigger. Their brightly colored bilums (knitted bags), and laplap (wrap-around cloth) made a more colorful picture of the crowd.
We waited for almost two hours until the holy mass began. I learned that some of them walked for up to four hours just to attend the monthly Eucharistic celebration in their area, the people had looked forward to attending this community gathering. The priest, having known the culture for quite a time, caught the attention and the hearts of his parishioners with his homily about the Gospel. At a certain point, he asked the people, “Did anyone bring also some food today?” About one-third of the crowd raised their hands. “At the end of the Eucharistic celebration, we shall also ask the Lord for a miracle,” he continued.
Before the final blessing, Father Henry brought us to the Gospel scene: the concern of Jesus for the hungry crowd, the five loaves and the two fish from a boy, and the wonder and joy of the people in what Jesus did. He said that we are in a similar situation—our stomach now aching for lunch at 2:00 p.m. Then he invited those with food to bring them out and put them together in a basket. Usually women bring along some pieces of broiled kawkaw (sweet potatoes) in their bilum. With hands raised, he gave thanks for the kawkaw, blessed them and said, “Now, share these to everyone. See that everyone has a piece to satisfy each one’s hunger.”
Indeed, by the breaking of the sweet potatoes everyone got a share, including Fr. Henry and me. A little piece was very much appreciated to fill our empty stomach. And yes, there was a feeling of belongingness to a big family.
The story of the multiplication of bread in today’s Gospel reading brings us to the very person of Jesus. Besides getting awed by the miracle itself, but we are filled with wonder and awe at the great generosity of Jesus’s heart—at his deep concern for the crowd who followed him, and his great desire to fill both the spiritual and physical hunger of the people. Here is the a person who feels our needs before we even think of them. Jesus fills our emptiness by his Words in the scriptures, and satisfies our every longing by his very Self in the Eucharist.
For us who have gotten a piece or so of Jesus’s gifts, let us focus not only on constantly receiving but also on breaking our gifts for others to enjoy and have their fill, just like the PNG women who generously shared their kawkaw. For if we continue to follow Jesus in the desert, then we will continue to receive as much.
The little boy at the crowd of Tiberias had five barley loaves and two fish. What have you to spare today? Time for your family or friend? A smile for someone you don’t like? A cup of rice or a piece of bread for the hungry poor? A few cents for the trembling hand that begs? A heart for an aging Mom or Dad or Granny? What have you to spare and multiply? Whatever gift you have, give thanks, bless it, break it and share it to others. Then witness a miracle, one after the other!
