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8th in Matthew 2004 in Ocala "They all ate and were satisfied. Matthew 14:20 If the Lord Jesus wasn't relating one of his many parables to enlighten the many who constantly followed Him, He was performing supernatural acts, which we label as miracles. Today's Gospel Lesson relates to us the miraculous feeding of the 5000 in a remote area. The Lord had just learned of the beheading of St. John the Baptist by Herod. He withdrew by boat to go to a solitary place. But the crowds from many towns along the way followed Him by foot and when He disembarked He was greeted by thousands. As always He was happy to see and talk to the people, as well as heal their sick. He took occasion, as always, to teach the multitudes, and before long, evening was approaching. His Disciples came to Him and asked Him to dismiss the multitudes, because it was already late, so that they could go to the villages and buy some food. Thereupon Jesus said, "there is no need for them to go away. Give them something to eat here." "Master," they said, "we have only five loaves of bread and only two fish" Jesus asked them to bring these before Him, and asked the people to sit on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to Heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. These were multiplied, and the Disciples distributed them to the people, who ate and were completely satisfied. After all were satisfied the Disciples picked up 12 basketfuls of left-overs. This is just one example of that, which is impossible for man, is possible for God. All of the Lord's actions and teachings had a specific purpose, so that the power and Grace of God could be felt by everyone. The easiest thing for the Lord to have done, was to have dismissed the multitudes, but He wanted firstly to satisfy their spiritual hunger, and then to nourish their physical hunger. Hunger, for so many people is not a living experience, but merely the meaning of a word. When we speak of hunger, our mind immediately thinks of the lack of food. But be assured, that there is a hunger, much greater than that for food, and that of course is the hunger of the spirit. While it is so easy and simple to satisfy the hunger of the body, which is rather routine, and of course important for our sustenance, people seek and strive for a good part of their life to satisfy their need for things, other than food. Somehow, we've been conditioned to assume, that a particular hunger will be satisfied, if for instance, we strive to amass wealth, --- if we pursue only material things, --- if we delve in philosophy, --- adventure, --- technological discoveries, -science, --- and so many other pursuits of higher calling; and yes, even of base instincts. People muster their forces of their heart and soul to satisfy this intellectual, let us say, or material hunger. Yet, isn't it odd, that people's particular hunger for various pursuits is questionably satisfied? We can easily witness this by observing, that the more they attain, the more they seem to want! The more people gain, the more they learn, the more they achieve, all these become for them mere stepping stones, and it seems that their hunger and thirst are indeed ever present. Having then this insatiable hunger, people will always remain unsatisfied and unfulfilled, unless this hunger is coupled with the desire to partake of the spiritual "manna"-- that is, to be illumined and guided by the Light, which emanates from the teachings of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. One of our great poets, John Greenleaf Whittier stated: "We travel the world over in search for the truth. We gather all that we consider good; everything beautiful; and anything pure, that is contained in the monuments of all the ages, only to finally discover, that all the wisdom of the sages of the world, is contained in the Christian teachings." The noted French philosopher, mathematician and physicist of the 17th Century, Pascal, emphasized that: "apart from Christianity we cannot learn Who God is; --- what life is; --- what death is; --- and we cannot experience anything but confusion and darkness." These two realities, confusion and darkness are the present ailment of too large of a segment of today's society. This confusion and darkness reign, and will continue to reign, simply because people have not chosen to sit and be spiritually fulfilled at the Lord's table. The Parable of the prodigal son is apropos at this point, because people like the prodigal, are seeking happiness and fulfillment in a far-off land, when all the time this fulfillment is at their doorstep. It is significant to note from today's narrative of the feeding of the 5000, that the Lord chose firstly to satisfy the spiritual hunger of His listeners, and subsequently to feed them. Listening to the Lord the people forgot about their physical hunger because they were being spiritually nourished. Mentioning these two hungers, the spiritual and the physical, brings to mind a verse that the Lord emphasized in n His sermon on the mount. He said: "Firstly, seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all the other things shall be added unto you!"' Down through the years, when the theme of a sermon was relevant, I often mentioned a true story, of a rather gifted man, who spent the greatest part of his life trying to satisfy his famished spirit. He was constantly searching by tapping many sources. He delved in philosophy, he was successful in amassing a fortune, he took adventurous trips, and he even tried hedonism and revelry, but to no avail. As time lapsed, it seemed to him that his hunger was constantly increasing, until one day at the age of 63, just by chance he was exposed to the Bible and Jesus. I said, by chance, but I believe it was the Hand of Divine Providence showing him the road to fulfillment. When this religious aura enveloped him, he immediately sensed new horizons opening up before him. All that he had acquired for which he had given the greatest part of his life, seemed so insignificant and meaningless. Even though he was 63 years old, he somehow felt his spiritual renewal deeply, and he felt truly that once again he was very young and starting with great vitality on life's course. When he hit the 70th year of his life he became terminally ill, and knew that his life on earth was very limited. Before he passed away, he instructed those close to him, to inscribe the following on his tombstone: "Here lies a person, who even though he died at the age of 70, he truly lived only 7 years." This is a true story, and is comparable to a personal experience of a person, whom I baptized as an adult. She was of the Jewish Faith and made her rounds to many of the Christian Churches trying to fill the spiritual void she sensed in her heart. She was highly educated having graduated from a University in America and then spending years in the Sorbonne in France. After much searching and researching she gravitated to the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Paul's in Hempstead, Long Island. Isn't it odd? Here she chose a Church that the whole Liturgy was in Greek with an English sermon after the Greek. Even in her mature age she undertook to learn Greek from a private tutor and she became rather fluent in speaking and also writing. She became our God-child since Presvytera became her Nona, (Sponsor). Having been baptized in March, 1960 she became an ardent communicant of our Faith. Each year on the anniversary of her re-birth I would receive a birthday card, in which she penned a few words in Greek restating her joy that her life was completely fulfilled having commenced at her Baptism. Just like the man who at 70 lived only 7 years Maria Friedman counted her true life after March 1960. We were close and became one family. She was a volunteer at the Long Island Jewish Hospital and every afternoon she would come to St. Paul's to light a candle, even though it was miles in the opposite direction from her home. I'm sure there are countless parallel stories, which prove that "man cannot live by bread alone," as the Lord said. Regardless then, of what anyone may personally feel, it has been proven time and again, that true fulfillment comes mainly through the nourishment of our Lord. Regardless of how much a person may gain in this world, or what his achievements may be, he will periodically or constantly feel the pangs of spiritual hunger, if he does not choose to unite himself with Christ. We who are fortunate to be citizens of the land of plenty, should be more attuned to the fact, that these of themselves, do not have the power to completely nourish us. We need to seriously study, and consider the words of the Lord, which have made heroes of men and women down through the centuries. These people conformed, as we should conform to the Lord's words which we already mentioned; "Firstly seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all the other things shall be added unto you."
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