Interdependent with Jesus

In the story of Jesus feeding the hungry crowd, I like that while he is concerned for each of us individually, he is also concerned with the crowd. His love goes beyond just the individual. His love is universal – for all who are hungry. No picking out people for the right anything! All were fed. Pope Francis’s Fratelli Tutti and his book Let Us Dream are strong on social friendship. This concept isn’t totally new, but how Pope Francis wrote of it is. Our love in the spirit of the Gospel reaches beyond our own kith and kin. Covid-19 taught us how interdependent we are – nationally and internationally. For example, if the poorer nations don’t get the vaccine, Covid-19 may spread again all over the world.

The resurrection stories of Jesus always involve more than one person seeing the empty tomb and meeting him. To Emmaus the two walked together, sharing faith and doubt. At the garden it was Magdalen and the women. At Galilee seven apostles were fishing, and then were fed breakfast by him. Many of his miracles were supported by disciples, like when the hungry crowd looked up and to the amazement of the apostles they could feed them. Jesus and us, we are interdependent and co-dependent. He sent them to feed the people, as he still does today. We are sent in his name.

Our liturgy could sometimes express this more. So many Masses are ‘heard’ in the back of the church as people may want to get out quickly. As a priest I sometimes can hardly see the people! We need, as often is remarked, to include more community gathering at our Masses – the cuppa after and the chat is an important part of the liturgy.