Don Bosco Philippines South Province

Homily on the 17th Sunday in OT, 28 July 2024, FSpIF Chapel Talamban

Just a couple of weeks ago, together with our staff in the provincial house, we were given a basic orientation seminar on our newly installed fire alarm system and fire extinguishers. Contrary to our expectation the resource speaker who stood in front spoke well and gave us a really good and enlightening seminar not only on firefighting but also on fire prevention. I remember what he said that struck me most. There are actually three elements that, when combined together, would produce fire: fuel, oxygen and heat. If all three of these are present and combine together, you will certainly have fire, as for example, when you light a match stick by rubbing its head against the red phosphorus at the side of its box. The stick is the fuel, the air around is oxygen, and the friction caused by rubbing produces the heat (demonstrate). The more you add fuel, the bigger will be the fire until it becomes ablaze or an inferno.

Now, in order to put off the fire, you only need to take away one of the three components, either the fuel, or the oxygen or the heat. Once the fuel gets consumed, the fire will certainly die out (demonstrate). If there is no more oxygen, then, the fire will be put off (demonstrate). And if the heat is lowered down by spraying water onto it, the fire will be extinguished (demonstrate). So, in order to produce fire you just need the combination of all three elements: fuel, oxygen and heat.

Today we gather to worship the Lord on this Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. And I personally see in this trio an image of what God is teaching us today as we offer him our Sunday homage. We just heard the gospel story of Jesus feeding a large crowd of about five thousand men with only five loaves and two fish. Humanly speaking even five loaves would not be enough to satisfy the hunger of fifty or five-hundred men.

Back in high school when I first heard about this miracle story I struggled to understand how the apostles could have sliced or broken each of the five loaves and two fish into very small pieces so that each and everyone of the five thousand could have at least a small bite. After all, nothing was really mentioned about the bread and fish being multiplied by Jesus. I struggled even more when I came to know that after everyone has eaten their portion, the left-over fragments which they gathered were able to fill twelve baskets.

Then I started to think that a miraculous multiplication of the small supply of food could really have happened. Using the image of fire mentioned above, three elements were needed to produce a miracle on that day: first, someone who has food; second, someone hungry but does not have food; and the third is the compassionate Lord. If someone who has food gives thanks to the Lord but does not share what he/she has with the hungry, only he/she will benefit from the food. Then no miracle will happen. On the other hand if someone hungry prays to the Lord asking for food but no one is there to give or share, then all the same, no miracle will happen. Finally if there is so much food held by a few and so many hungry people around waiting to be fed, but no one recognizes the Lord from whom all good things come, neither will there be any miracle of sharing that will happen.

In the gospel story narrated to us this morning, the little boy seems to be the only one who had five loaves and two fish. Had he decided to keep the bread and fish for himself alone, no miracle would have happened whatsoever. But the good news is that seeing the hungry crowd and recognizing the supernatural power of Jesus he offered whatever food he had. He put everything in the hands of the divine Master no matter how little it might have been. And because of that selfless act of total giving, with God’s blessing, the amazing miracle of multiplication took place.

The boy didn’t even have to own a grocery store or an entire bakery, nor was there a need of a big fund of money to buy food at the market. One little but wholehearted act of generosity was enough to trigger an amazingly miraculous multiplication of blessings, which satisfied everyone’s need and consumed the hearts of the people with a burning desire for Jesus.

May we who gather today to celebrate the sacrament of God’s love be inspired to do like what that little boy had done. Remember this: your little becomes much when you put it in the Master’s hand. GiGsss!

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