18th Sunday, OT, Year A, Sharing God’s Abundant Love

Posted on by

Mathew 14, 13-21 (Sharing God’s Abundant Love, 18th Sunday, OT, A) [English translation of Portuguese homily delivered in Ponta da Fajã, Island of Flores, Portugal (Azores)

Focus: Sharing God’s Abundant Love.

Function: To remind listeners to share God’s abundant love with others.

  1. Introduction

Abundance. This beautiful island and other breathtaking places as well as many wonderful people are reminders of God’s abundant love.

  1. God’s Abundant Sharing and Our Sharing Abundantly
  2. In the first reading, the Lord provides for and invites all people to an abundant feast. This text reminds us how God provides spiritual and physical abundance for all people. God provides enough physically, yet, too often, we fail to share justly the resources of creation with those in most need. As a result, many in the world lack the basic necessities. God provides enough spiritually, however, too often, we fail to consume the sacred sustenance found in Scripture, the Sacraments, prayer, and service to our neighbor. As Christians, would we share more justly God’s physical abundance with the needy, if we received more from God’s spiritual abundance?
  1. In the Gospel, Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, provides physical abundance in a deserted place for a hungry crowd. They all ate and were satisfied and there were twelve baskets left over! Jesus also provides spiritual abundance in the deserted place of our soul. Jesus gives us sustenance for our hungry souls in Word and Sacrament, as well as in service to others. When we pray, read Scripture, receive the Sacraments, and serve our neighbor, Jesus provides abundantly for our deepest hunger, which is for love. As Christians, would we share more abundantly love, forgiveness and generosity, if we sought more of God’s spiritual abundance?
  2. In the second reading, St. Paul tell us that nothing can separate us from God’s abundant love. Yet, this is not entirely true? There is one thing that can separate us from God’s abundant love: If we refuse to accept God’s abundant love and if we refuse to offer it freely and generously to others.
  3. Conclusion

In conclusion, God’s abundant love is available to all, freely and generously. There is only thing that can separate us from this love: a hard heart, a selfish disposition, and an egotistical comportment. So, today, as God has abundantly given love to us, we pray that we might abundantly give love to all people.