World Day of the Grandparents and the Elderly

First reading: 2 Kgs. 4:42–44

A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing to Elisha, the man of God, twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits, and fresh grain in the ear. Elisha said, “Give it to the people to eat.” But his servant objected, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” Elisha insisted, “Give it to the people to eat.” “For thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat and there shall be some left over.’” And when they had eaten, there was some left over, as the LORD had said.

Second reading: Eph. 4:1–6

Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Gospel: Jn. 6:1–15

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

In other words

by Fr. Xene Sanchez, SVD (Kinshasa, Congo)

One of the first words I learned in Kikongo, a Bantu language in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is nzala. As children approach tapping their stomachs with pleading eyes, no translation is needed. Yes they’re saying, “I’m hungry.” 

Remember the song “We Are the World” (1985)? Lionel Richie with Michael Jackson and so many known artists sang to collect aid to alleviate hunger in Africa after a deadly famine hit Ethiopia killing 1.2 million people. As the world population reached 8 billion, hunger is still the leading cause of death. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says 800 million people are hungry.

While fighting hunger is the biggest world preoccupation, the Word of God today gives the solution. The most recounted story in the gospels is the Multiplication of the Bread (six versions)! Moreover, John, who rarely repeated the synoptic stories, situated this in a whole chapter presenting Jesus as the Bread of Life.

In the Old Testament, stories of hunger abound mentioning famine 96 times. Thus we understand why the feeding with manna to the starving people of Israel is engraved in lasting memory. That food should not be hoarded otherwise it spoils. The background of the Elisha story was also famine. People were so hungry that they ate all kinds of leaves and roots risking poisoning. Nearing Passover, the first harvest of barley came. A poor farmer, instead of feeding his family first, gave the first fruits to the prophet. Elisha, certainly hungry too, ordered, “Give it to the people.” The servants objected, “20 barley loaves for 100 people?” Elisha insisted “Give,” for the command came from the “Word of the Lord.”

The Gospel also mentions the Passover nearing. A vast crowd surrounded Jesus seated on the mountain. When Jesus thought of giving them food, the disciple Philip objected based on mathematical calculation. Andrew intervened: a small boy gave his five barley loaves and two fish. But does it matter for 5,000 people? Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them. The people had their fill. Fragments were left over.

FOOD, there is enough. The Word of God today asks the world to shift from human logic of “gaining” to the logic of God’s Kingdom of “giving.”

We honor today our grandparents. When we visit them, their greeting is not “Hello” but “Have you eaten already?” And instead of saying “Goodbye” they say, “Come, eat before you go.” If only we could extend such solicitude not only to the members of the family but to the family of humankind, the family of God!

The song “We Are the World” confirms it: “We’re all a part of God’s great big family… We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving!”