Posted by The WORD in other words (2009) by Fr Atilano Corcuera SVD – Shrine of Jesus, the Divine Word, Christ the King Seminay, Quezon City
Tuesday After Epiphany
I am a practical and creative person. When something needs doing, “I’M THE MAN!”
But of course, everyone has a limit. This never became more apparent to me than on a late afternoon while on a mission, riding a motorcycle on a remote and secluded road, I blew a tire (flat tire). I was so confident in having a new set of tires on my bike that I didn’t even bother to bring my tool kit when I left. What to do? It was getting late, darkness was setting in and prospect of having a place to spend the night in was getting real. So, being ever practical, I decided to walk back to where I came from, went to the chapel and got ready for the night. Unexpectedly, a group of young men dropped by and upon hearing of my predicament, one of them offered to help. After giving him the motorcycle key, he set off into the night, down the road, on foot to look for my motorcycle. After an hour, I heard the sound of an approaching motorcycle coming from behind and when I turned to look, my dear bike with the tire fixed pulled over right in front of me. The young man then handed me the key and wished me good luck on my trip back home. In parting he said, “By the way father, my little daughter attends your masses everytime you come.”
The apostles in today’s gospel were men of practical means. Upon seeing the several hundreds of people still around them late in the afternoon, they anticipated the need to provide dinner, and having no food themselves, they did the most practical thing, to Jesus they said, …”it is getting very late, send them away…so they can buy themselves something to eat.”
Jesus saw in this situation an opportunity to teach His followers that when practicality and human resources fail, there is such a thing as grace.
Grace is when God connects with His people and assures them of His care, concern, and love. Grace is when I, though totally unworthy and undeserving, open myself to the flow of God’s loving intervention of gifts, mercy, and healing.
Grace builds from the little we could give. That when “we have but five loaves and two fish,” God supplies the rest.
