Thought for the week
EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A) Gospel: St Matthew 14:13-21

In the ‘parables of the kingdom’ that we listened to in the last few weeks, we heard how the kingdom, like the seed, starts small but has great potential for growing, given the right conditions. Today, that theory is extended, in the miracle of the five loaves and two fish – the small amount of food, insufficient to feed the crowd, multiplies at the hands of Jesus and becomes an abundance, that satisfies the needs of the crowds.
This miracle is symbolic of Jesus’ desire and mission to nourish His followers as they journey with Him in the building of God’s kingdom. The Eucharist, instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper, is central to sustaining us on our pilgrim journey and drawing us in to God’s kingdom. As the “source and summit of Christian life”, the Eucharist is the fullest experience of Jesus in our earthly lives and of our anticipation of deep union with Him one day in God’s heavenly kingdom.