Seventeenth Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year B--Spiritual Multiplication

Percent means “parts per hundred,” from the Latin, per centum.

Edward Denison, in 1060, thought of a neat phrase, “Three percent is greater than two percent by fifty percent. I have math anxiety but there are listed several ways to prove this, including that the reason that 3 is 50% bigger than 2 is because 50% of 2 is 1 and 2+1=3. At any rate, it’s been verified by me on an internet Percentage Change Calculator.

I like Mickey Mouse’s math quote: “Arithmetic is being able to count to twenty without taking your shoes off.”

In our Readings today, we learn about spiritual multiplication. In our First Reading from 2 Kings 4:42-44, Elisha fed a hundred people from twenty barley loaves and some fresh corn, with leftovers. Jesus had only five loaves and two fish and fed over 5,000 people with leftovers (John 6:1-14). Wheat bread was more common; barely loaves were cheaper and served the poor.

Rule number One- 99% does not get multiplied. 100% of lunch x 5,000 equals five-thousand servings. It is the Law of the gift. The opposite is Luke 19:20, which says, in part, “The one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.”

“Gift” is only gift if we give all the pieces. Juan Diego made himself available to Our Lady of Guadalupe, and in 10 years, 10 million indigenous people were baptized in the Catholic Church. St. John Paul II’s The Law of the Gift is: "One receives one’s life precisely when one offers it as a gift.”

Jesus took the bread and fish, gave thanks, broke them and gave them back to the disciples. And then the disciples gave them to the people in the crowd. God prefers to use the instrumentality of people and what we have on hand. “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish.” Basically, fish tacos!

And Jesus told his disciples, “You give them something to eat.” And Jesus said, “Bring them here to me.”

We hold up our schedule and say, “Lord, I don’t have time to volunteer in my community.” And Jesus looks at our schedule and says, “Bring it here to me.”

We look at our bank account and say, “Lord, I don’t have any extra cash to give to the food pantry.”

And Jesus looks at our bank account and says, “Bring it here to me.”

We hold up our hearts and say, “Lord, I don’t have it in my heart to love that person. It’s impossible.” And Jesus looks at our heart and says, “Bring it here to me.”1

When we look through Jesus’ eyes we say, “Lord, my life belongs to you. I may not have much, but whatever I am and whatever I have, use it for your kingdom.” And suddenly, we see a million needs all around us, and we find a way to meet some of those needs. When we care enough, we will sacrifice what we have to make a difference.2

Matthew 14:15-24 tells us that it was already four in the afternoon when the miracle took place, but the disciples had first said to Jesus, “send them away before it gets dark.” In truth, the demonic power is always one of scattering; it breaks up communion. 3

Seeing the world through Jesus’ eyes starts with compassion and often leads to miracles being performed with leftovers.

E.g. When you share your faith through a real-life example with someone else, there is good chance that they will share it with someone else.

We start with a lot of compassion and faith. Then God will take our resources to satisfy whatever need has captured our heart. And miraculously we discover we have plenty of resources left over for our own needs. There is an axiom in philosophy which says that good is diffusive of itself. Another way to put it is to say that happiness is actually multiplied when we share it with others.

Notice that when the miracle began, Jesus said to Philip," Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?"

Jesus said this to test him.

This verb, peirazein has a pejorative sense of temptation, trial or trickery. Trick question, Jesus!

A sarcastic response by Philip, "Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little."

Jesus said, "Have the people recline.” The reclining postures especially associated with the Passover (Anchor Bible Commentary).

Jesus gave thanks. Jesus himself first distributes the loaves to the disciples as he does at the Last Supper.

Note that Jesus commands the people to “lie down” (anapipto). The only other times this verb is used in the Gospel of John is reclining a table at the Last Supper. So, the multiplication miracle is very Eucharistic: Take, Bread, Give Thanks, Give, Recline and Gather.