In today’s Gospel (St. Matthew 14:14-22), we hear how Christ fed the multitudes by multiplying two fishes and five loaves. In this homily, Fr. Anthony offers three Christian (and political economic) strategies for feeding the world.
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Here are the notes from today’s homily.
Introduction. People are hungry they need to be fed. How can we feed them?
- The Gospel as food.
1. Give them food. Just like here.
- Hire someone who knows how to make “spiritual food” and then gather once a week so that you can eat.
- But people are still hungry!
2. Improve the system of distribution.
- The “One Thing Needful” is always eaten but never consumed.
- Podcasts, books, blogs… these allow the “five loaves” to be spread even further.
- But this is not enough.
3. Decentralize, share, and teach.
- Lessons of political economy. Dependence, consumerism. Totalitarianism.
- It is also against the Gospel: we are not JUST meant to receive the Gospel, but to BECOME the Gospel.
- When we BECOME the Good News, we become part of the solution
“Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach him how to fish and he will eat for ever.”
- Give this fisherman the spirit of the Gospel (HOSPITALITY) and those around him will be fed for a day.
- Have this well-fed and hospitable fisherman teach others to fish and be hospitable as he has learned to fish and be hospitable and the world begins to change from one of hunger to one of celebration..
Conclusion.
St. Mary’s is not just a place for you to be fed; nor is it simply the best place for you to learn to fish; nor even the best place for you to learn hospitality…
It is the one of the very best fishing holes on the eternally stocked river, where everything needful is in abundance: the food, the lessons, the hospitality, and the resulting celebration.
Let us thank the God who has transformed us into fisherman and St. Mary’s into the site of fishing abundance.
