Without Paying, Without Cost

August 3, 2008
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Rev. Joe McCloskey, S.J.

All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! Isaiah 55:1

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over --twelve wicker baskets full. Matthew 14:19-20

Piety

Let us pray: Loving Father, no matter where we are -- hilltop or valley, country or city, beach or forest, in a crowd or alone, we are your creation and are in the middle of your creation. Lord, you are present in us – body, mind, and spirit – and you come to us daily through the world, the Word, and the Eucharist without asking us for anything and without costing us anything. Help us to realize our ability to bring creation to its fullness. Holy Spirit, help us look on all we see with love.
Lord, I realize that all, even myself, is a gift from you. Today, for what things am I most grateful?
Lord, open my eyes and ears to be more honest with myself. Today, what do I really want for myself?
Lord, show me what has been happening to me and in me this day. Today, in what ways have I experienced your love?
Lord, I am still learning to grow in your love. Today, what choices have been inadequate responses to your love?
Lord, let me look with longing toward the future. Today, how will I let you lead me to a brighter tomorrow?
(Adapted from Through All the Days of Life, a collection of prayers compiled by Fr. Nick Schiro, S.J.)

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/080308.shtml

Jesus seems to have imitated John the Baptist until the time of his death. After he went apart to grieve the loss of his cousin, the form of his ministry changed. The “Repent” message of John then became the good news of the Kingdom. His heart is moved by the big crowds that followed and he took pity on them and cured their sick.

Because evening was on them, the disciples told Jesus that he should send the crowd away. Jesus has a pity for them so great that he tells his disciples to feed them. The five loaves and the two fish become enough to feed 5,000 people without counting the women and the children.

The book of the prophet Isaiah comes alive. The thirsty and the hungry come without paying and eat well. Jesus could not save John from his destiny. Now with John’s work finished, his ministry that was a lot like John’s takes a form that is pure good news. No more threats. Jesus is speaking to the hearts of his people and they are delighted. The negative about how much we need Jesus for our sins becomes the expression of the mystery of the love of the Father that he is. What will separate us from the love of Christ? God who is pure love has given us his Son who is the pure love of the Father. He is the pearl of great price. Our piety is the closeness of our lives to Jesus. We take his holiness upon ourselves by living in this so great love of God that gives us his only Son to be our very life.

Action

Our love for Jesus becomes the actions of our piety. What we do amid the anguishes, distresses and persecutions, famines and perils that come our way is conquer through the love of Christ. Nothing can separate our actions from Christ because even the smallest action of our life done for Him becomes the extraordinary of the kingdom of God. All that we do for others in his name calls us to his side. Christ is forever renewing his everlasting covenant with us. Our little done becomes in his love the plenty of the kingdom of heaven.

Our study is all about the more we can do for Christ. Nothing that we do, can ever satisfy the thirst we have in our hearts to serve our Lord. We look for him in all the possibilities that surround us to serve him and he is forever within our hearts. We try to find him in our actions and he is already there when we love. Truly nothing separates us from the wonder we have when we study our lives and see he loves us as we are. He is all there not just in ourselves, but also in every person we love. Every action we do out of love reflects his presence within us. We search the great books and listen to the great speakers and find that the little child has the secret of being close to Jesus. Jesus plays in the faces of a thousand children. Every smile reflects what his love is all about. Finally we have to say it to ourselves. Nothing can separate us from the Love of Jesus.