Homily for 17th Sunday of Ordinary time

World Day for Grandparents and the elderly

Mercy and Love in action

Readings: 2 Kings 4:42-44; Eph 4:1-6; Jn 6:1-15

Last Sunday, we saw how Jesus is concerned and moved by the human condition. Despite the fatigue of his mission and consequent human need to rest on the other side of the sea, he is nonetheless moved with compassion upon seeing people who followed him like sheep without shepherd.

Today, we have compassion or mercy or love in action in both the first reading and the gospel.

In the first reading, Elisha got a gift of food from a well- wisher. Though sufficient for a single person probably, he ordered that the food be shared among the people present.  To the amazement of those present, the food sufficed for everyone and had leftovers too.

In the gospel reading Jesus feeds the multitude from the five loaves and two fish presented to him by a small boy. All had their fill and collected the remains.

The two passages teach us a number of things.

First is compassion for those in need. We see in Jesus as well as Elisha compassion for those who were in need. Each had food enough for themselves but had the welfare of the people around them. That is why they were able to share the little they had. In a special way today as we commemorate the day for grandparents and the elderly, we are called to show compassion and kindness to them as they are part of the society that is often marginalized and suffer want.

Secondly, if you share what you have in love and kindness, it is God who acts. From the food that was well estimated by human standards to be insufficient for all, God feeds many people against the odds. God multiplies our blessings every time we share with others.

These readings are therefore a call to all of us always to be moved and act for the sake of the plight of those in problems. We all need to embrace mercy and compassion as the drivers of our Christian living. These will make us instruments of God as we serve others.

The second reading tells us that we all are one family of God. As such no one among us deserves to be in any need of something since we have all we need for our lives. What we lack of love and compassion for each other.

Let us all be providers for each other’s needs.