Isaiah 55 : 1-3,
Matthew 14:13-21 Full Readings
Fed by His Divine Providence
Brethren, this Sunday’s readings are all about joy and celebration; first and Gospel being about the party which God through His divine providence gives to His people. Today's Gospel message of feeding the 5000 men and Isaiah invitation to come to the Lord and eat without money reflect the real heavenly banquet which God will give us when we are all gathered there (Jesus' miracles were all pointing to what it will be like in the kingdom of God), but also reflects the sharing of the Eucharistic banquet when we are all gathered as a people and as mystical body of Christ, the church. Through his divine Providence, God is always feeding us with his word, the spiritual food as well as providing for our physical needs. Today's message is therefore centred on trusting in the Divine Providence.
Most of the time you hear from people saying God will provide, and at first I would not really figure it out but with further reflection I found out that really God provides, however not without our efforts. In the Gospel we see a crowd going to listen to Jesus, they were not going for physical food but thirsted for Jesus' words. But Jesus double feeds them with the word (the spiritual food and spiritual healing), and with physical food in abundance. What does this mean to us? God will always provide if we thirst for him, if we long to be in communion with him. No need to worry on what to eat, drink or put on but if we are in a spiritual communion with God, he will always provide. Seek first the kingdom of God (not physical food, clothes money, power, etc) and all other things will be given unto you.
As we have seen for Divine Providence to take place in our lives, thirsting and having faith in God are presuppositions but it also requires to do something practical which is like the initiator of that Providence. We have to thirst for the Lord first and as the disciples had something to start from (fish and bread) we too should not sit back waiting for Lord to provide for us for even God helps those who help themselves.
Divine providence is the true indication of love of God for us and this love is free of charge, as Isaiah invites us to come and eat without money. If we trust in the Lord all the time, nothing, as St Paul tells us in the second reading, will separate us from this love of Christ be it anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,or nakedness, or peril, or the sword or death, or life, or angels, or principalities, or present things, or future things, or powers, or height, or depth, or any other creature. With our trust in Him, all these things will pass and God will keep providing for us.
Let us then Reflect on divine Providence today and pray that the good Lord may always provide for us as we place our trust in him. May he increase in us the gift of so that we may always feel the presence of the risen Christ among us and his Providence. As God provides for us, may we also be generous to others In need and may we be blessed forever.
Let us Pray
May your merciful love always be upon us as we place our trust in you so that everyday of our lives, we may experience your divine providence. Amen.
Blessed Sunday.
May God continue to feed us
ReplyDelete