Homilies & Thoughts

In this story of physical healing, we are directed to a much deeper reality—the sacramentality of the world. Sacramentality means that the physical world is a window into God’s presence and action. In the sacraments of the Church, we see this clearly: water becomes the means of new life in baptism; bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. But sacramentality goes beyond the sacraments themselves—it is woven into the fabric of the world. In the gospel, the man’s ears are opened, and his tongue is freed. Jesus uses the physical—his hands, his spittle, his voice—to bring healing. This is not incidental. God works through the created world to bring about salvation.

I love the book of Deuteronomy. It is such a personal and hope filled work. Deuteronomy presents itself as a letter from Moses to his people. They have already escaped from Egypt and their forty years of journeying in the desert have come to an end. The Hebrew people now stand just outside the land of Canaan, their homeland, their promised land. As they stand upon the mountains and look upon their home, there is joy but there is also a twinge of sadness. Moses is dying. He will not make it home. His final act is to write a letter to his people that he has journeyed with for a lifetime.

This gospel is a sorrowful reflection on humanity’s response to Jesus’ offer of himself. While his Eucharistic speech may seem like just one teaching that is being rejected, it is actually a culmination of all his teachings, a summary of the entirety of his message. When many of his disciples walk away, they are not merely rejecting this single idea, but rather abandoning everything Jesus has taught them.

It is natural to wonder why they would make such a choice. Jesus’ teachings are centered on love, sacrifice, forgiveness, and mercy - ideals that seem universally desirable. Who wouldn’t want to live in a world where everyone loves and cares for one another? Yet, as we look around us, it becomes clear that many people prioritize greed and selfishness over the well-being of others.

I think one of the reasons people struggle with the idea of the Eucharist today is its simplicity. The mass has certainly undergone significant changes over the millennia. At times, it has been more elaborate and had many elements added; at other times, it has been more direct and austere. But at its heart has always been a very simple rite: sharing a meal with God himself—a basic meal that appears to be bread and wine. In our culture, and even at the time of Jesus himself, this ritual has a baffling simplicity. We want to see more because we live in a culture of spectacle.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, body and soul, into heaven is a profound mystery. However, this feast is not just about honoring Our Lady; it is about contemplating the boundless generosity of God. God’s generosity is a characteristic that often escapes us. We tend to think of God as all-powerful, which he is, but we sometimes forget that his power is exercised in perfect humility and generosity. God does not hoard his glory or keep his love and joy to himself. Instead, he gives everything he has to anyone willing to accept it.

The Eucharist is life. That is what Jesus means when he says, “I am the living bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” The bread he gives us, his flesh, is life. It is not a metaphor. It is not a mere symbol. It really is life, the life of heaven, and Jesus freely gives it to us. He shares with us an eternal and perfect reality simply because he loves us. He does not give us the gift of his flesh and his life because we deserve it. He does not give it to us because we are amazing and inspiring examples for the world. He gives it to us despite our many sins and failures. He gives us life to prove that he loves us. And the one and only thing he asks in return, is that we do the same, that we take the gift of life that we have received, and we give it to others.

It is easy to talk about doctrine, the set of things that we are required to believe as Catholics. Today marks one of those days when it is even easier. Today begins what is called the bread of life discourse. Over the next few Sundays, Jesus will elucidate how he embodies the true bread of life, illustrating how Old Testament accounts of miraculous feedings foreshadowed his own presence. He will emphasize that partaking in his body and blood is essential for attaining eternal life within us. So we can see how easy it would be to write off the next few Sundays as moments just to talk doctrine: the real presence, transubstantiation, and all of those things. But that wouldn’t be helpful. We all know what the Church teaches. Many of us have heard it time and again our entire lives. So, let’s not talk about that today.

The feeding of the 5,000 is one of the most memorable and cherised storys about Jesus. This story isn’t just a demonstration of Christ’s power but a profound reflection of how we perceive miracles and God’s active presence in our world.

Many of us hesitate to accept miracles. We’d rather find natural explanations for Jesus’ actions, transforming his divine acts into something ordinary, yet inspiring. This skepticism isn’t just about doubt; it’s about reluctance. If Jesus truly performed miracles as signs of his divine identity, we must confront the implications: listening to him, following his teachings, and embodying his way of life. To avoid this transformative call, some have even suggested that the miracle of feeding 5,000 was merely an act of sharing, where a young boy’s modest lunch of two fish and five loaves spontaneously inspired others to share. They claim the “real” miracle was human generosity.

Nearly 2,600 years ago, Jeremiah spoke to a people burdened by violence and loss, people exiled from their beloved Jerusalem. In their deepest despair, God promised a future of harmony and right relationship with him and each other.

Yet, as we look around our world today, we might find ourselves questioning the fulfillment of this promise. How many have witnessed the horrors of conflict, seen loved ones lost to violence, or felt the sting of hatred? Hatred remains a potent force, dividing us and distancing us from God and each other. It tempts us to assert our will through violence, seek revenge, and arrogantly claim mastery over our lives and solutions to worldly problems, contrary to the essence of our faith.

“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave.” Jesus was quite strict when he sent his disciples out two by two. They weren’t allowed to take money, food, or extra clothing and they had to wander around all of Israel. If we had been in one of the cities of the time and seen the disciples, it would not have been a pretty sight. They would have been dirty, smelly, and hungry beggars. They would have been shouting at us “Repent! For the Kingdom of God is at hand.” I think many of us would have dismissed them without a moments consideration. Surely God can equip his messengers better than this.

“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” These words of Jesus are probably proverbial. That is, they belong to the simple folk wisdom that is passed around the culture and handed on through the ages, something like, “The early bird gets the worm.” The simplicity and commonness of these words belie a hidden depth. Jesus’ words cut to the heart and should cause to rethink our lives and especially our interactions with one another.

I watched a show one time about people who are incredibly cheap. They weren’t poor. That is, a lack of money did not drive their desire to live frugally. They just loved being cheap. They experienced a strange thrill in finding bargains or getting new stuff without spending cash. Most of the people on the show and their thrifty habits I found amusing: cutting open toothpaste tubes to reach that little bit you can never squeeze out, taking a roll of two-ply toilet tissue and multiplying it into two rolls of single-ply, and other similar things. But one habit was almost too much to watch. This particular couple enjoyed crafting dinner from road kill. They would drive along back roads, pick up any dead animal they found, and then take it home and cook it.