Everything and more

More than enough

Every one of us here today has wondered from time to time: do I have enough?  If unexpected guests drop by, the question will be: Do I have enough food?  In work situations, the questions are often: Do I have enough time to finish this project or assignment?  When we’re travelling in foreign lands, the question might very well be: Do I have enough money?  At times, even despite our best intentions, the question might very well be: Do I have enough energy to see this through?

• Listen to this homily

As we gather around the Eucharistic table over the next few weeks, the scriptures invite us to learn some valuable lessons from the Bread of Life discourse.  In short, we are invited to think of life not as something that each of us faces on our own, as though we ourselves were solely to be blamed for something that goes wrong, or praised for something that goes right.  Instead, if we learn to think of life as an adventure that we live with Jesus at our side then we are never alone.

The miracle of Elisha’s generosity toward the needy of his time, and the example of Jesus’ generosity toward the crowds who were gathered are examples for us of God’s promise that even if we ourselves might feel that we do not have enough, even the smallest gift offered with a generous heart is enough.  In fact, because Jesus shares the adventure of life with us, he transforms our meagre efforts and rewards them with great abundance.  With his help, we can indeed live in humility and gentleness, with patience and love.