A LITTLE HELP ON THE WAY TO CONVERSION

Today, the Seventh Sunday after Trinity, we read again the story from the Gospel according to St. Mark of the miraculous feeding of the four thousand. In the middle of last week, I began thinking about a homily on this passage. One day as I was driving I put into the tape player a tape dealing with the apparitions in Međugorje.

During the tape there is a short interview with one of the Franciscans, who I happen to know quite well. Fr. Svetozar Krajevic was asked about the miracles at Međugorje and his answer was as thoughtful and interesting as I have come to expect from him.

He said, I understand people who are looking for signs. I do understand them, because it is the easy way to accomplish something rather difficult. It’s easier to see the dance of the sun (which some see around the cross on Mt. Krizevac in Međugorje) than to fast and it is easier to speak to Vicka (one of the visionaries) than to change one’s personal life. Maybe the New Testament could help us best how to understand these moments. Jesus allowed those moments when His disciples were able to see Him performing miracles. And these moments were encouraging moments for His people. But there was more to it. Those who saw those miracles really did not build a whole faith upon these miracles. These were an encouragement…..the miracles were just a little help on the way to conversion.

If you have ever asked yourself the question, What is a miracle?, you will quickly see the wisdom in Fr. Svet’s words.

Miracles are, in and of themselves an insufficient basis for faith. The Apostles spoke of miracles as “signs and wonders”, as in Acts 2:22 and 4:30, for example. But it was clearly not these miraculous works which brought them to faith.

Today’s Gospel rather shows us that, because it followed the feeding of the five thousand recorded in St. John 6:1-14. Even after witnessing that miracle, the disciples asked, From whence can a man satisfy with bread these men here in the wilderness?

Now it is not my intention this morning to delve into the question of faith, but rather to look briefly into the miraculous.

We cannot explain in terms of our slender knowledge of God’s laws how seven loaves and a few little fish can feed four thousand. Nor do we have the insight to explain how after everyone is sated, seven baskets of leftovers can be collected.

All too often, as a result of our ignorance, we assume that in a miracle, the laws of nature are suspended. That, I suggest, is utterly wrong.

Look again at the first reason for this miracle, Jesus called His disciples unto Him and saith unto them I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with Me three days and have nothing to eat: and if I send them away fasting to their own houses they will faint by the way.

Compassion! This miracle is an expression of the Love of God for His people. It is a declaration of His presence and a manifestation of His will that we should all be cared for.

What a fallacy it is to think that the laws of nature will be suspended. These are God’s laws, and God will never deny Himself by suspending those laws, not one of them for one second.

And what arrogance it is to imagine that we know anything very much about God’s creation. If we can accept that, then we will quickly realise that what is miraculous to us is actually perfectly ordinary to God.

How true rings the wisdom of Fr. Svet’s words, the miracles are just a little help on the way to conversion. They take their place along with such mysteries as life and death in the economy of the Divine.

What is visible to us in that economy is there, we can be sure, for our edification and our progress towards Jesus Christ, our heavenly King.

Think again upon that question the disciples asked Jesus, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? How often do we ask ourselves questions filled with the echoes of that one?

We ask the same thing in spirit when we look at the lives of others and our own lives do not seem to measure up.

Mother Theresa, or Pope John Paul. Dear Jesus, how can I obey your commands like they did? I have children to feed, bills to pay, hours of work to fill each day and no energy left over.

What foolishness! God does not measure our worth by our fame and stature among men. Whatever lies before us, no matter how meant and trivial it may seem to us is the work of God.

If He can feed four thousand with seven loaves and a few small fishes, imagine what He can accomplish with the years He gives us if we will only turn them wholeheartedly over to Him.

Let us give thanks to God for our lot in life, give thanks for all His gifts and trust Him to make of our lives what meets His Divine Purpose. He will bless the little we offer Him and it will overflow with rich increase. That is truly miraculous to us, but perfectly ordinary to God.

But there is more. He will gather the overflow into His baskets and that, too, will be used to His own good effect.

If you have any doubts about that, think for a moment about Jesus Christ’s words, For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison and ye came unto me. And the righteous shall answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered and fed thee? or thirsty and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

God makes the ordinary miraculous.

What is miraculous to us is ordinary to God. Let us give our lives to Him, every minute of them and let Him make miracles of those minutes.

Then, perhaps our lives, through God’s power, can be for someone else a little help on the way to conversion.

Peter Jardine+

Trinity VII, 2006