"Gather up the crusts so that nothing will go to waste."

Liturgical readings

2 Kings 4:42-44
Psalm 145
Ephesians 4:1-6
John 6:1-15

"Gather up the crusts so that nothing will go to waste."

The passage from St. John's gospel speaks about the miracle of five loaves of bread and two fish. It was a miracle that fed five thousand men. In other gospel versions, there is an additional phrase added - "not counting women and children". But even without this additional phrase in John's gospel, common sense will tell us that often, people travel with those they know - like family and friends. So, not only did the men benefit, but also members of their family or some friends. But the point to all these is that everyone had their fill, and there were still left overs that filled twelve containers. Jesus was one who knew the value that food can give to people. So, he told his followers directly: "gather up the crusts that are left over so that nothing will go to waste." Jesus may have thought to distribute the leftovers to the people so they will have food when they travel back home.

All creation and human life is part of God's plan - a plan which is good and meant to serve His divine purpose.  All life comes from God and goes back to God. This mystery of life and material blessing we receive each day must be multiplied and then responsibly taken care of, "so that nothing will go to waste". This can be seen also in the Eucharist when the priest and the communion ministers gather the hosts that are left over. The Eucharistic celebration is a symbolic gesture of that feeding miracle of Christ. The hosts that are gathered by the priest and his communion ministers are placed in a few ciboria and then returned to the tabernacle. These hosts are meant to be distributed to the sick and the elderly in the parish community.

Everyone knows the value "left overs" in hard times. It is during such times that families train their children to eat only what they can consume and not to leave any food in their plate. Parents ought to discipline their children in this matter not only during hard times, but for all time. Food is a grace we receive from God. We bless our food and thank God after every meal. In some businesses, we see a few good employees who get the clean leftovers and give it to the poor in their neighborhood. These are miracles of sharing we need to reproduce in abundance. We are called to follow Jesus' example well: to manage whatever is available, work to produce as much good as we can, and if we do well, we can produce resources beyond our expectation. The combined gift of faith in God, in the abilities of others and in our own ability, help us see beyond what is available to what can be produced in abundance.

"(Jesus) began to teach them many things."

Jeremiah 23:1-6
Psalm 23
Ephesians 2:13-18
Mark 6:30-34

"(Jesus) began to teach them many things."

After the apostles worked hard in their preaching and mission, the Lord invited them to go to a deserted place to rest from their labors. The mission Jesus sent them too was fruitful, for many believed in their words and deeds. The success of their mission work made crowds continue to stay close to them - making it difficult for them to even rest and eat. So Jesus led them to a boat where they could go far. This did not deter the people who were eager to follow them. The people arrived at the place even before Jesus and the Twelve embarked from their boat. When the Lord Jesus saw the crowd, He was moved with compassion, for the people were "like sheep without a shepherd".

Since the time of Jesus, the missionary spirit and works of the Church had left us with many "landmarks". These basic "landmarks" are what we find in our Creed, the moral teachings of the Church, and the traditional prayers (both individual and Sacramental) that have guided us since baptism. As long as we believe, follow and continuously pray within these landmarks, we will be kept within the sheepfold of Christ, our Good Shepherd. But if we remove these landmarks from our way of life and follow other philosophies, trends or ways of thinking (especially anti-Catholic ones), we may end up losing our way in the world.

Our present times appears to be neglectful of these landmarks and the many faithful clergy who continue to teach them. However, humility and vigilance will help us follow the right path in these times. Humility predisposes our minds and our hearts to listen and to obey. Vigilance, on the other hand, keeps our minds and our hearts watchful against anything that can lead our souls astray. Combined with prayer and faithful reception of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, we will surely be guided by the Holy Spirit in the right path. And one other important truth to remember is to keep within the thinking and the practice of the Church (as St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Thomas of Aquinas counsel in their writings). All these will help us through the confusion, uncertainties and anxieties of the times.

"Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them."

Amos 7:12-15
Psalm 85
Ephesians 1:3-14
Mark 6:7-13

"Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them"

God sends His Son Jesus for a mission. As Jesus was sent, so He also summons Twelve apostles and sends them for the same mission. It is in this mission that obedience and poverty are also practiced. These are the three Christian ideals that go together, and should be part of every "missionary". Jesus embodied these ideals in His life and person. He practiced them first in His life as a poor, itinerant preacher. He summoned the Twelve to follow Him, and they obey in the spirit of their Master's zeal and radical poverty. It is this missionary spirit that enkindles every missionary in the Church to go forth into the world to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom.

The lay faithful are also called to share in this mission by virtue of their baptismal consecration. We are called to sanctify the secular realities we find ourselves in. Sanctification is not an easy, nor pleasure-filled process because it entails purification - both on the part of the missionary and on the people who receive God's Word. It involves discipline, perseverance, sacrifices and a conversion experience that can become unsettling at first. All of us undergo this purifying process. We are called to understand how our faith calls us to make God's Word and Sacrament fruitful in our lives and in our works. The call to sanctify the very realities we are immersed in have their rootedness in Jesus. The more we are rooted in Christ, the more our mission leads to life. Christ is the Life of the mission. Our mission is to live that Life.

Christian life is celebrated in the Sacraments through our ordained ministers. We can also be integrated more deeply into this life by joining parish-based lay ministries. These are established spiritual paths to make Christ known to others. Prayer is always primary in these spiritual paths. All apostolic activity flows from this basic attitude. Whether we act in family or in work, or add involvement in parish-based lay ministries, we need to be rooted in Christ through prayer. Only if we do so will all our actions bear fruit in the Holy Spirit. The success of our works will produce the humility, understanding, patience, hope, and charity of Christ. This rootedness in Christ in prayer, the Sacraments, and ordinary work is the simplest path to join the Church in mission, obedience and poverty.