02/08/2026
Today’s homily!!
My dear brothers and sisters, Whenever someone dies, we often write the words,
"Rest in peace." This short phrase expresses a profound human
truth: in one way or another, every human being is searching for rest. We pursue education, money, success, and relationships, hoping they will bring us ultimate satisfaction. Yet, even after achieving these things, something is often missing. Saint Augustine captured this mystery beautifully: "Our hearts are restless until they rest in you." This restlessness reveals a deep hunger that the material world cannot satisfy.
In today's First Reading, God issues a beautiful, free invitation through the prophet Isaiah: "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the water." Isaiah then asks a challenging question: "Why spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy?" The problem is not that material things are evil. The problem begins when we expect created things to give us what only God can provide. We can fill our bank accounts and still have empty hearts.
The Gospel reveals how Jesus satisfies this hunger. Even while grieving the death of John the Baptist, Jesus looks at the crowds, has compassion, and heals them. When evening falls, the disciples suggest a practical solution:
"Send the crowds away to buy food." But Jesus gives a shocking command:
"They need not go away; you give them something to eat." The disciples see only scarcity: "We have here only five loaves and two fish." Like them, we often look at our own lives and say, "I have only a little income, little time, or little talent. What difference can I make?"
But Jesus does not ask for what you lack; He asks for what you have. Saint Teresa of Calcutta once said, "Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love." When we place our small efforts into the hands of Jesus, scarcity turns into abundance. Five loaves and two fish in human hands are insufficient, but in Christ's hands, they feed thousands.
What are your five loaves and two fish? It could be your time, a profession, or simply your ability to listen. A kind word can change a day; a phone call can end loneliness. Do not wait until you have everything before you begin to serve.
There is also a profound Eucharistic dimension here. Jesus takes, blesses, breaks, and gives the bread. At every Mass, Jesus does the same. He gives us Himself the Bread of Life and sends us forth to become bread broken for others through our service.
Living this way requires courage, and the Second Reading gives it to us. Saint Paul asks, "Who will separate us from the love of Christ?" He lists suffering, persecution, and danger. Yet he declares, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." Our ultimate security is the assurance that nothing can separate us from God's love.
My dear brothers and sisters, let us stop asking, "What am I lacking?" Instead, let us ask, "What has God placed in my hands?" Bring that little to Jesus, and watch Him multiply it for His glory. Amen.
Deliver by Rev,Anthony Vihmintah Sunday.
