Genesis 14:18-20 / 1 Cor 11:13-26 / Luke 9:11-17
There are things in life that goes without saying because it is the most natural thing to do. Things like: when sleepy, - sleep; when tired – rest; when thirsty – drink; when hungry - eat.
These things don't need much thinking as it is obvious what needs to be done next.
And then there are some things that should not be done concurrently. Things like: when driving don't drink, as in drinking something that will impair judgement and response; when walking don't dream, or accidents will happen.
All that sounds obvious and sensible and logical. And it is helpful to live life with some things we are certain about or at least have a set of beliefs to go on with life.
But there are some other things in life that can be difficult to figure out. Like, when living, what should we be doing or having.
Well, it could be, when living there must be a meaning. In other words, we need to live life with a meaning.
In today's feast of Corpus Christi, the gospel passage is about the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and the fish and the feeding of the five thousand men.
There are a few shades of meaning in the gospel passage. One is that God can use whatever little to work a miracle. Another is that God cares for the hungry and feeds them with plenty.
But what is the meaning of the passage in connection to the Feast of Corpus Christi, which is also known as the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ?
The meaning could be in the five loaves and two fish, and we can look at that in relation to our life and our faith.
The humble five loaves and two fish became the means of a miracle, because Jesus made something wonderful out of it.
In the same way, the bread and wine on the altar became the Body and Blood of Christ because Jesus made something wonderful out of it.
Similarly, when we partake of the Body of Christ, our lives can have a wonderful meaning because Jesus lives in us and makes us His Body.
There is a story of a poor family and when they ran out of money, the father told the son to take one of his old t-shirts and try to sell it for $2. The boy obeyed but he doubted if anyone would buy an old t-shirt for $2.
So, he squatted at a corner in the marketplace, put on a sad look and tried to sell the T-shirt. Along came a passer-by who took pity on the boy and bought the t-shirt for $2. The boy went home happily and gave his father the money.
Then the father told the boy to take another t-shirt and to sell it for $20. The boy cracked his brains and came up with the idea of asking a friend to draw a superhero figure on the T-shirt.
He then went to a school that is well known to have rich students and he waited outside the school as the students were coming out.
One student took a fancy to the drawing on the t-shirt and paid $20 for it. The boy was delighted and went home to give his father the money.
Then the father told him to take another t-shirt and to sell it for, the boy was expecting the price of $200, but the father told him to sell it for $2,000.
The boy was stunned. Who would buy an old t-shirt for $2,000? As he thought hard about this impossible task he happened to hear that a pop star was in town and will be making an appearance at a famous shopping mall.
Then he had an idea. He took a t-shirt and went to the mall and he squeezed through the crowd to get to the front until he could see the pop star.
Then he begged the pop star to autograph the t-shirt. The pop star obliged. Later the boy went to auction the autographed T-shirt and he got the $2,000.
The proud son went home to give his father the money. And the father asked him, “Son, what did you learn from all this?”
As the son wondered about what his father meant, the father explained that the t-shirts got the value from the meaning that the boy has put into them.
So, the value of a t-shirt depended on the unique meaning the boy puts into them.
Similarly, our lives have a special meaning because of Jesus.
He gives us His Body in Holy Communion, so that our lives will have a special purpose and meaning.
The five loaves and two fish became a means of a miracle and fed the 5000 men.
Our lives in Christ will also have a special meaning and purpose in God's plan.
May we discover that meaning and may we be a miraculous blessing for others.