|
|
|
July 22, 2007 8th Sunday in Matthew Ocala The Gospel Lesson today, related to us the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 in the wilderness, with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. This text was taken from the 14th Chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel. The Apostle St./ John also relates this Miracle, with a comparable description. But, he adds an extra admonition of the Lord, which St. Matthew didn't record. After the 5000 ate and were satisfied, according to St. John, the Lord told His Disciples: "Gather up all the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost!" This phrase: "Gather up all the left-over..." may be glossed over, when one reads the Bible, but these words carry a very significant message. That is the fact, that God does not overlook the small things. It is not only a lesson in economy and thriftiness, but something even deeper, and on this admonition of the Lord, I chose to offer a few thoughts to you, my beloved, this morning. This request of the Lord to gather up all the leftovers, may be thought by some people as insignificant. Perhaps it was a small thing comparatively, after having fed the multitudes. It is true, that oftentimes, the small, or insignificant things for some, may have no value, but for the Lord, they are very important. We see this in so many expressions of His life on earth. We see it in today's Miracle; we also see it, when He speaks of the importance of even the least of His Commandments. We see it, when He embraces the average and simple people, who oftentimes are looked down upon. But, it is the Lord, Who called these least of the people, perhaps shunned by others, His brothers. We never did hear a comparable expression of the Lord, when He was in the company of the wealthy! It's an established fact, that oftentimes we overlook the small things as insignificant. Sometimes, we may even look upon them with disdain. But, if we are to analyze our life, we shall see, that our life is a chain, made up of links, which are from many small things. Small duties, --- little obligations, --- relative achievements. All these seemingly unimportant things, constitute the small mosaic stones, which, when placed together orderly, do present a composite mosaic portrait of our being. You may remember the description of the Lord's Second Coming, to judge the living and the dead. The Lord, at the blink of an eye, will separate the just from the unjust, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Then, to those on His right, He will say: "Come, inherit the Kingdom, which has been prepared for you; because, when I was hungry you fed me, --- when I was thirsty you gave me to drink, --- when I was naked you clothed me, --when I was sick you visited me, --- and when I was in prison you consoled me." All these are simple things, -- little things - but God gives them great importance, because, these manifest our true love for our fellow man. "Gather up the morsels, or the leftovers," said the Lord. Thus, it can be said, that even if we were to smile for any reason to our fellow humans, we gather up morsels. Would you not agree, that even our smile is a small crumb, or morsel, which reflects the love we have in our heart? When we show some expression of courtesy, is this not also, a small morsel of our love? These, and similar small expressions truly nurture our soul. They create a pleasant atmosphere, and most assuredly do come to the attention of God.All these must be taught to children from their tender years. Also, to teach them, that the best things in life are free. Talking about children. A few years ago I went to Sears to buy a pair of shoes. At the register, a clerk was busy punching in the endless boxes of sneakers, which filled two very large bags. I thought to myself, "there's enough sneakers to outfit a complete team. While the mother was signing the credit slip of over $500, 1 saw her son, about 15 years old, slipping away and rushing toward the door of the parking area, leaving the mother struggling with the 2 oversized bags. I was flabbergasted. I was tempted to say something, but you know, in today's society this can be dangerous. I repeated this incident later to some friends, only to hear the answer: "that's the way the kids are today!" Whether true or not, I surely cannot accept it. It seems, that basic manners for so many have gone out the window. The youngsters don't seem to be learning manners at home, and the teachers refrain from stressing manners, because these are not part of the curriculum. Indeed a deplorable situation. This surely did not happen, when our generation was growing up, and going to school. The schools at that time, always complemented the work done at home. The teachers were our second set of parents, and one didn't dare to be ill-mannered. Yes, it really is the little things, which are very important, because, they become, and a part of the great big picture. I place our beloved Mission in the scope of little things. It started not as a dream, but as an ardent desire to bring together people of the same Faith, and with a sense of duty to perpetuate our Faith, and to be worthy of our Forefathers, who sacrificed much to bequeath to us the inestimable wealth of Orthodoxy. God's Providence was and is surely at work, and by no means are we resisting as can happen. God's Providence has opened so many avenues and we are well on our way to give our project flesh and bones. The secret of our phenomenal success is the love that permeates our Mission which by no means is diminishing, but flourishing. Our gratitude abounds to the Almighty. Thus, as the Lord had commanded after the miraculous feeding of the 5000, the Disciples gathered the small pieces, and not a bit was left behind. God looks upon those, who would use diligence and thriftiness in their life. Those, who gather the leftover pieces, and who also very consciously look upwardly to the Giver of all gifts. The thrifty housewife makes use of all the items that can be used, being very careful not to dispose of anything. The conscientious Doctor will exhaust all means to see, that his patient will be able to survive. The manufacturer, whether it be in gold, or needless pins, will be most careful to scrape up the little fragments, that have fallen on the floor, and so forth. If then, we of this world, give attention even to the least of powers and dynamics of this life, we can be sure , that the Lord Above, in His infinite wisdom, does the same for matters pertaining to Life Eternal. It is God, Who gives the wisdom and the power for us to achieve. God never gives up on man. Unfortunately, man does give up on God! God's patience for receiving the sincere penitents was proved, when the Lord opened the portals of Eternal Life to the penitent thief on the cross, who had implored Him during the last hours of his life, "Lord, remember me, when You would come into Your Kingdom!." These are the exact words the Priest chants, holding the Sacred Gifts during the Great Entrance. It would be beneficial to use this phrase inaudibly, when you approach to receive from the Holy Communion Cup. Yes, God does show His mercy on those who lived arrogantly, in vanity and self-aggrandizement, when on their death bed they finally realized the superficiality of their life and their being, but like the penitent thief repented, even at the last hour. Yes, God is concerned for our personal salvation, which of course should be every Christian's concern. As He fed the 5000 in the wilderness, in like manner He is always present, and seeks to feed and nourish our spiritual hunger. But the move to approach and receive His gifts, is always up to the individual, to fully exercise his or her God-given free will. Amen. +Fr. George Papadeas
|
|
Back to home page
Send mail to
epantaz@yahoo.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|