Share the Real Food

EXCERPTS FROM THE HOMILY
St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori Fiesta Mass
Mandug, Davao City
August 1, 2016

In today’s Gospel (Matt. 14: 13-21), the multiplication of the bread/fishes was a miracle, and it really was. It’s a showcase of God’s mercy and power over everything, that He can do anything in His compassion, especially to those in need, the helpless, the hopeless, the defenseless. More than that, people’s participation is a MUST. Didn’t we notice? It was not Jesus, but His disciples who distributed the food to the thousands of hungry and thirsty multitude.

In like manner, it’s His modern disciples “the distributors” like the bishops, priests, religious, lay church workers, who are tasked to “distribute His food” – the Good News, to those who “hunger and thirst”, to those who lack the knowledge and faith in the One and Only True God.

Today’s world is not much different from the situation 2,000 years ago. Millions of people today are still “hungry and thirsty” for the real food, yet so many of them do not know they are! Sadly that’s the BIG DIFFERENCE. For one thing, greed for power and money that breed corruption have wrecked havoc, destroying the lives of individuals, families, society, breaking up relations, etc. And so it’s a big serious challenge now for these modern “distributors” on how to effectively distribute this “real food” in the midst of today’s threats, fear, darkness, deception, fanaticism, violence.

The life of St. Alphonsus Ma. de Liguori, whose feast day we’re celebrating today August 1 is one big showcase of how this disciple of Christ DISTRIBUTED the REAL FOOD, thru his thousands of other disciples around the world as “distributors” of God’s Word: the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (CSsR) or the Redemptorists, which he himself founded.

Finally, centered in the Eucharist, this food is the ultimate expression of God’s love, best nurtured in the strong family, where these “food-distributors” are intensively molded. But here’s their/our hardest challenge: reaching out, not only to friends, people whom we like, but also to enemies, unbelievers, unfriendly forces, strangers, the most needy, and especially those we hate! (Dodong Ocon, SAMDLP SoCCom)