Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year A

Isaiah 55:1-3

Psalm 145:8-9. 15-16. 17-18 (R. see 16)

Roman 8:35.37-39

Matthew 14:13-21

A higher Calling 

"Chasing after this world makes me tired

Praisin' my own name leaves me dry

There's gotta be so much more to life than this

A higher calling that I missed

I want my life to count, every breath"

(Live With Abandon, Song by Newsboys)

 

Yes, indeed there is much more to life that we can access if we respond to the Lord and recline with him at his table. This is the higher calling from God.

As humans, we seek meanings to life,and our wondering mostly leads to despair, hopelessness and  brokenness. Most of us are either dead or dying inside, and we are not getting any help. We can neither find where we belong, nor ourselves. We have lost  our identity and our whole life is upside down.  Remember that whatever you believe affects your life.  

Looking at today's readings at a glance, in the first reading we have a promise of everlasting covenant with God. In the second reading Paul makes us aware that, nothing can separate us from the love of God. While in the gospel Jesus heals and satisfies peoples hunger. 

In the first reading as God invites us to  come and eat, the stress is on listening to him, and inclining our ear to him to hear him and our souls may live. Asking us to use our ears to eat rich food which will eventually give life to our soul, points to that which satisfy all the hunger of humans, the Word of God.

As the Word of God, he satisfies the hunger of our ears to hear. Hearing God in our life gives us hope. Knowing that we are not alone increases our faith, understanding that God cares for us is actually liberating. The impact of this in our life is great. 

Roman 10:17

But it is in that way faith comes, from hearing, and that means hearing the word of Christ.

Through God's Word, he called everything out of Nothing, and all thing including humans can respond through his Word. So Paul makes us aware that, nothing can separate us from the Love of God.  The list of things that Paul mentioned did not include sin, hence sin on the other hand can make us reject God and the relationship he wants to establish for us. 

Because God's love for us is so great, he became like us, and began to heal our fallen nature from within.  In Jesus Christ, we see the physicality of God's Love.  Today as he had pity on the people and healed them, we see that, if we can sincerely follow God's Word, he help us overcome our problems, hence they cannot separate us from the Love God has for us. 

The feeding of the Five thousand draws our attention to two events; Moses and the Israelites and the Last Supper. The Greek Word "anaklino" which was used for recline in today's gospel was the same used for when the Apostles reclined with Jesus Christ at table during the Last Supper.  There are other similarities also to  the Last Supper in today's gospel about the feeding.  Thus today's, the feeding miracle as a sign points forward to the Last Supper, which also invites us to God's heavenly Banquet. 

Luke 22:28 to 30

'You are the men who have stood by me faithfully in my trials;

and now I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father conferred one on me:

you will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel

This is the higher calling from God, an everlasting life with God where we will gaze on him, eat and drink. This is when we will realize that indeed nothing can separate us from the Love of God. But it all depends on us standing faithfully with God, showing him that we also love him by doing his Will.

 

By

 

Sylvester Amakye-Quayson