Come to the Water
To All,
Often when I visit people who are sick and in the hospital, and I want to read to them a passage from the Scriptures, I read to them a passage from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, which includes our second reading for this Sunday (Romans 8:35, 37-39). The passage is one of my favorites, and I use it because it states, in no uncertain terms, the unconditional and absolute nature of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
As we grow in our relationship with God, we not only acknowledge God’s love for us, we take it in. We actually trust in God’s love for us. In our first reading (Isaiah 55:1-3), God speaks through the prophet and invites us to come to Him:
“All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk!…Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life.”
Our financial condition doesn’t matter. Our status in the world doesn’t matter. We can always come to God!
And as we trust in God’s love, we are called to share it with others. In our Gospel reading (Matthew 14:13-21), Jesus has gone off by Himself to pray. When He disembarks from the boat He used to get away, He finds that a large crowd has gathered to see Him. Matthew tells us that “his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.” Eventually, it gets late, and Jesus’ disciples come and advise Him to dismiss the crowds so that they can get something to eat. But Jesus replies,
“There is no need for them to go away; give them some food themselves.”
The disciples were alert enough to see the needs of the people but did not see themselves as being part of answering those needs. Sometimes we can be like that. We see the need, but do not see ourselves as responding to the need. When Jesus tells them to give the people something to eat, they respond that all they have are “five loaves and two fish.” Sometimes we can see the need, and feel called to respond, but are held back because we can only see our efforts having little to no impact.
Jesus takes the loaves and the fish and multiplies them. He then gives the food to the disciples to give to the people, and everyone is fed, with much left over! When we are willing to offer what we have in love, Jesus can multiply our efforts so that people’s needs can be met. One obvious way this happens is when Jesus calls us to come together and reach out to those in need. This not only involves works of charity but also works towards justice and peace.
- Can we believe in God’s love?
- Can we accept it?
- Are we willing to come together and share it?
I welcome any comments or questions. Thanks for your time.
In Christ,
Phil, CP
