17 SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B): FIL-MISSION SUNDAY

17^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) / Fil-Mission Sunday

First Reading: 2 Kings 4:42

Second Reading: Ephesians 4: 1-6

Gospel: John 6:1-15

One of the stories that inspired me to join the SVD was the story about a missionary who visited a village for the first time in Africa. He said that he experienced culture-shock. As a sign of courtesy to the chieftain, he had to suck the breast of the chieftain’s aged mother. I joined the SVD not to experience that (LOL) but that story strongly opened my eyes to the missionary endeavors of the Catholic Church. I came to realize that indeed there are people who offered their lives entirely to the Lord and His mission. I highly salute those people! That is why, when the Lord invited me to join Him in His vineyard, I accepted it with joy and the rest is history.

Every last Sunday of July, we celebrate here in the Philippines the Fil-Mission Sunday. It is dedicated to the missionary arm of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, the Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP).  The Fil-Mission Sunday is our act of solidarity in the undertakings of the MSP. The second collections during this day will also be given to them to help spread the Good News in all parts of the world.

One of the two Bible stories that really made a mark during my childhood is our gospel for today. When I was a little kid, my dear elder cousin (God bless him and his family+) read before me the story of the multiplication of the loaves and two fishes, complete with picture illustrations! In the illustrations, it showed an exhausted crowd. The apostles were in crisis because they don’t have enough to feed them. Out of the blue, a child offered his five loaves and two fishes. Jesus took them, gave thanks, and ordered them to be distributed. When they had their fill, there were twelve baskets left-over.

The first reading is also similar with the gospel. There was a drought in the land and a man from Baal-Shalisah offered his bread and wheat for the people of God. The servant who was asked to distribute the food wondered how could it feed  a hundred people. Prophet Elisha just said, “They shall eat, and there shall be some left-over.” Indeed, there were some left-over!

These two readings clearly showed us the value of generosity. A boy initiated to give in the gospel and another man gave what he had in the first reading. Giving is our sacred duty.  During the time of the early Christians, generosity was the their trademark. There is a very heartwarming story about this: when a drought set in Jerusalem and the poor ones were in danger of starvation, the Christian community of Antioch initiated a collection for the poor. How consoling it must be for the starving community to know that they could rely on their Christian brothers and sisters, even those far away, like the one in Antioch who gave material as well as spiritual support.

During the time of Vatican II, our dear bishops discerned what can we do as a Philippine Church to help in the mission of spreading the Good News. The fruit of their collective discernment gave birth to the Mission Society of the Philippines in 1965. We are no longer only a receiving country of missionaries from abroad. We are now a mission-sending country. We become a nation that generously shares its missionaries to all parts of the world. Every Filipino, wherever he is, is a missionary!  How consoling it must be for other countries who are in need of missionaries to know that they could also rely on their Filipino brothers and sisters in terms of spiritual and material support.

But more magnificent than our act of giving is God’s act of self-giving. God is God, but he chose to become flesh to dwell  among us. He gave His all to make us closer to Him. And when he gives – he gives it in good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over. The people who were present ate to their stomach’s delight, and yet there are still left-over!

I thought that if I enter the seminary, I will lose my family. But no, my friends and families even multiplied and became hundredfold. God is indeed generous!

I thought that if I am assigned to a poor parish, I will become thin. But no, I become filled with food…nurturance and love. God is indeed generous!

I thought that if I become a priest, there will be no more chance for me to become a newscaster. But no, God gave me more. He made me a Good News-caster. God is indeed generous!

Friends, let us start to give. God is indeed generous! He gives in good measure, pressed down, and shaken together and running over.

May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the Word and the Spirit of Grace, and may the Heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all. Amen.