18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Today’s Gospel reading is the miracle story of how Jesus used five loaves of bread and two fish to feed five thousand hungry people. Through this miracle story, Jesus is trying to tell us here today about “the importance of sharing in life.”
Jesus may have known that everyone had brought bread with them. Yet, out of anxiety, each person tried to keep their own bread to themselves. They probably thought that if they shared, there might not be enough. When they saw Jesus break the bread and distribute it, they, too, brought out the bread they had and shared it with one another within their own groups. Everyone ate their fill, and there were even leftovers.
“Don’t ask when it will come, but miracles will surely come to those who always do their best for others.”
The Kingdom of God is realized when people share joyfully. Jesus taught us to share with those from whom we cannot expect anything in return. This teaching is recorded in Luke 14:12–14 as follows: “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your wealthy neighbors; for they may invite you back in return. Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the disabled, the lame, and the blind. Then you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you.”
If we do good deeds solely to receive a reward, how are we any different from the Pharisees and hypocrites? God will certainly reward us for our good deeds, but it is not right to do good simply for the sake of a reward. Sharing may seem simple, but the world’s values are different. In fact, there’s even a joke that says, “You can’t get rich unless you’re stingy.” No one has ever become poor simply by sharing generously. An act of compassion from the heart is equivalent to a thousand steps toward heaven. Sharing never diminishes our wealth. Isn’t the beautiful journey of life one meant to be shared, rather than enjoyed alone?
We may only want to receive Jesus’ miracles, but Jesus taught us the importance of sharing.
Doing good is a good thing. So please, never stop doing good. If you’re lucky, you’ll meet good people. If not, good people will find you.
Through the parable of the “miracle of the loaves,” isn’t Jesus trying to show each and every one of us that the greatest secret to happiness is to share generously? Let’s set out on this week’s journey keeping in mind that “life is not just about having, but also about sharing. It is through sharing that we find the true meaning of life.”


Translated with DeepL.com (free version)