“Taking the five loaves and the two fish…He gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied.”

—Gospel of Matthew 14 : 19 – 20

If you have any feel for today’s economy you know that, for many, times are very stressful. The coronavirus pandemic has turned everything upside down. Huge numbers of people are out of work, businesses are closing daily, and the majority of people, it would appear, are forced to live in a state of wanton uncertainty as if they were living in a twilight zone.

But there is hope.

At times like this, we look a little closer to home. We realize we have each other and that we can get by, sharing what we have. Jesus teaches us in Matthew fourteen that, no matter how little we have, we can make do, and find enough to share, with even some left over. Let’s take a hint from this gospel message.

It has been said that love is five loves of bread and two pieces of fish. What is meant by this is that love is not an abstract concept. It is down to earth and practical. It sharing our food with one another the way Jesus shared bread and fish with the multitude. We need faith to look outward, not inward, towards those in need; the sick, those in prison, the hungry, the thirsty, the naked and the homeless (Matthew 25). We need the hope from above that recognizes that enough is a good deal and that, no matter what, there will always be enough to go around.

Jesus fed the multitude by multiplying the loaves and fishes. He took care of the physical hunger of the people. But He was also preparing them to receive a deeper message, the need for them to share what they had with their brothers and sisters in need.

People who come from large families learn much about sharing. They know how a mother is always able to multiply the family’s food, to stretch a meal so as to accommodate one or more at the table. But families teach us more than that. They teach us the necessity of sharing, not only abundance, but whatever little they have.

The gospel of Jesus is rooted in sharing—sharing faith, hope, and love. Sharing joys and sharing sorrows. Sharing our time, our talent and our treasure. Sharing our life with God and with one another.

Sharing is also caring. When you share your food, your home, your time, or your money with someone, it means you care deeply about that person. This is a wonderful character trait. It is never more needed than it is today when so many people are in need of help. Jesus is the most sharing and caring person who ever lived. He shared Himself even to the point of dying for us, and He continues to care for us long after He left this world.

We must not be afraid to share the blessings the Lord has given us, and to care for those in our communities. Soon you will see that you are sharing life’s very essence, the miracle of Jesus’s constant sharing of Himself in the Eucharist, and through His word.

The miracle of feeding the multitude, recounted also in the gospel of St. John, chapter six, culminates in the miracle of the Eucharist wherein Jesus, the living bread, shares Himself with us continually.

—Fr. Hugh Duffy