Sunday:       18 TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Date:         August 1, 1999
Year:         A
The readings: [Is. 55:1-3; Rom. 8:35, 37-9; Mt. 14:13-21]
The message:  THE HOLY EUCHARIST TURNS DEATH TO LIFE.
Prepared by:  CATHOLIC DOORS MINISTRY
Total words:  1213

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In today's First Reading, the Lord said, "Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat!" [Is. 55:1] The first question that comes to mind is how can one, when he has no money, come, buy and eat at the waters? These words of the prophet Isaiah foreshadowed what was yet to come.

Searching the Bible for a spiritual understanding of the meaning of the word 'water', we note the words of John the Baptist. "I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." [Mt. 3:11] From these words, it is spiritually perceived that 'water' is the symbol for the Sacrament of Baptism, the Holy Spirit and fire.

Going to the words of Jesus that were spoken to the Samaritan woman, Jesus said. "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.'" [Jn. 4:10] From these words, it is spiritually perceived that water is both, symbolic of a gift of God and living water.

Going to another Bible passage, Jesus said, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the Scripture states, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.' Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive, for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified." [Jn. 7:37-9] This passage reveals that the symbol of water, the living water, is the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Earlier in His teachings, Jesus had said, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit." [Jn. 3:5-6]

Based on the aforementioned Bible passages, it is spiritually perceived that Isaiah was prophesizing that mankind would be called to come to the Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit who is the living water. You may ask, "How does one come to the Lord through the Holy Spirit?" It is through the Church Sacrament of Baptism. At the time of Baptism when the believer is sprinkled with water, he receive God's gift of a new heart and spirit, in fulfillment of "what is born of Spirit is spirit." [Jn. 3:6] Also, the believer receives the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The prophet Isaiah continued by saying, "Incline your ear, and come to me: Listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David." What is this New Covenant? "This is the covenant that [the Lord] will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." [Heb. 8:10]

Centuries earlier, the Lord had promised to write His laws in the hearts of His people and that He would once more live among His people. [Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 11:19-20] The Lord God also promised to give a new human spirit to His children. [Ezek. 18:31] Over and above all this, the Lord God had promised that His Holy Spirit would make His indwelling within His children. [Ezek. 36:26-7]

Was the New Covenant ever sealed? Yes! It was sealed at the Last Supper when Jesus said, "This cup that is poured out for you is the New Covenant in My Blood." [Lk. 22:20] Through the Blood of Christ, as the perfect sacrifice for the remission of the sins of the world, the New Covenant was sealed forever.

As children of God who have faith in Jesus, have repented of your sins, have been baptised, have received God's gift of a new heart, a new human spirit and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, you are now spiritually equipped to walk your living faith in order to inherit the eternal Kingdom of God.

In today's second reading, you are asked, "Who will separate you from the love of Christ?" Nothing can! Belonging to Jesus, suffering, pain, persecution, famine or even death cannot separate you from Jesus. Nothing in creation can separate you from God, not even the desires of this world or the fallen angels. You have a free will and as long as you persevere in your faith, God will protect you from all dangers to secure your eternal life in His Kingdom. For God yearns jealously for the spirit that He has made to dwell in you. [Jas. 4:5]

When facing suffering, pain, persecution, famine or even death, where do you turn? You do as Jesus did when He heard that Herod had beheaded John the Baptist. You turn to God through the Lord Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. Jesus calls you when He says, "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." [Mt. 27:11]

The mentioning of the loaves of bread and the fish in today's reading of the Gospel are symbolic. They foreshadowed what was to come after the death and Resurrection of Jesus. The fish echo the words of Jesus to Peter and Andrew, "Follow Me, and I will make you fish for people." [Mt. 4:19] The fish echoes the ministry of the priesthood in the Holy Catholic Church. It echoes the calling of the Catholic priests to become instruments of God to save souls by administering the Church Sacraments.

The loaves of bread echo the administration of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. At the Last Supper, "Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it He broke it, gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is My Body.'" [Mt. 26:26] Earlier in His ministry, Jesus had said, "This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from Heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh." [Jn. 6:50-1]

My brothers and sisters, today's message from God to you is that through the Church Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, death is turned to life. Nothing from this world or the world of the fallen angels can take away from you the gifts of God that you have received during the Sacrament of Baptism.

While you may suffer in this life, some even enduring early death in life, persevere in the love of God. As God's precious child, called to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, your loss is physical, belonging to a world that will come to an end. Your gain is spiritual, belonging to an eternal Heaven.

My brothers and sisters, as long as you faithfully continue to receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, through the love of Jesus, you can and will win the spiritual race that will lead you to the eternal God who awaits you in Heaven. For, through the Holy Eucharist, you receive the Body of Christ and eternal life!

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The readings...

[The readings were taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (C) 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America.]

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First Reading...

"The Lord says this: Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, Incline your ear, and come to me: listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David." [Is. 55:1-3]

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Second Reading...

"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." [Rom. 8:35, 37-9]

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Gospel Reading...

"When Jesus heard that Herod had beheaded John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, Jesus saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, 'This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.' Jesus said to them, 'They need not go away; you give them something to eat.' They replied, 'We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.' And he said, 'Bring them here to me.' Then Jesus ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciplines gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children." [Mt. 14:13-21]

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