Feed Them Yourself

Even in our secular, cynical culture,

The vast majority of Americans still believe in Divine miracles.

The other day a Facebook entry led me to a HuffPost article.

That article quoted a recent Pew Survey on miracles.

It found that 75% of Americans believe in the miracles of Christmas.

They believe that Jesus was born to a virgin.

They believe that angels announced the birth to shepherds.

And they believe that a star led wise men to the stable.

And there are still many more Americans

Who don't believe in all three of those Christmas miracles,

But do believe in other miracles.

For us Catholics, our faith requires belief in some of the major miracles.

Like the virgin birth—that's a matter of dogma—it's part of our Creed.

But some other miracles are more open to interpretation.

I was a little surprised at the survey results and at the positive tone of the article.

It quoted a number of professors and scholars who offered their take on miracles.

They said miracles are God's interventions in this world.

God's drawing our attention to some important truth.

Catching our attention and making us look at everything in a different light.

They agreed that belief in miracles requires a leap of faith.

One scholar was a former atheist who's now a Jewish theologian.

He had decided he was more comfortable living with faith than without it.

The importance of a miracle, they said, is less its violation of natural law or science.

And more its drawing us to the particular message or truth associated with it.

And to the insight that we really don't know all there is to know about this world.

In today's Gospel passage we have another miracle.

The feeding of more than 5,000 people with just a few fish and loaves.

Many of us accept that miracle as a historic fact.

Some may view it as just a metaphorical story.

But we can all get the associated message:

Feed the hungry—whether they hunger for physical food or spiritual food, or justice.

Tend to the sheep who have no shepherd.

Recognize that we have the responsibility and the power.

Jesus tells us, Give them some food yourselves.

And he shows us that the power is available to us.

We just have to take that leap of faith and call on that power.

Tuesday after Epiphany

Mk 6:34-44      Read this Scripture @usccb.org