2012/07/29 ...and there will be Left-Overs.

#Starting today, the last Sunday of the month will be ‘Haiti Sunday’ at both parishes. Part of the reason for this is to keep us all aware that we are all part of a universal church –like Paul talked about in the second reading. You may know that several people from our parish have visited Haiti...in fact, Gary Boice in in Jeremie as we speak. We have camaraderie with our brothers and sisters at the Catholic Church in Dupity, Haiti – the parish is Notre Dame de Pepetyal Sekur – or in English: Our Lady of Perpetual Help. We will remember them with a special petition this Sunday, and hopefully with our prayers the rest of the month. I will try to put an update from Dupity in the bulletin...although I didn’t think of that in time this month. Also – we will have a box for anybody wishing to donate to Haiti - it looks like this. It will be at the main entrance of church. Just one box – and only on the last Sunday of the month. We are NOT going to have a second collection – I don’t want this to be a high-pressure appeal. You all already give so much every time there is an appeal, but this is just an opportunity for those who feel called to help the folks in Haiti.

You may ask, "what will we do with that money?" Glad you asked! We have these brochures at the doors, which explain the many of the ways we are helping and would like to help the people of Dupity. Some of my favorites are: sponsoring students so they can afford to go to school – sponsoring a teacher so and entire CLASS can go to school – and maybe my favorite: the Micro-Lending project where we give capital dollars to women to start and run a small business. This is an awesome project because we’re not GIVING them anything – they have to pay it back with interest. So – we are not only helping them to feed their family, but it builds their own self-esteem by earning their own money for themselves – AND it builds commerce, which is so necessary to start pulling their economy out of the ruin it is in. Enough said – please check out the brochures – and prayerfully consider including Haiti in your monthly giving in the box at the door.

Turning to the Gospel - notice what Jesus told the boy with the loaves and fishes – “bring them to me”. I wonder - what would have happened if he had refused to put his dinner into the hands of Jesus? Obviously - No miracle. Jesus COULD work miracles out of thin air, but he chooses to work through His people. He looks at you and me – at the talents and gifts that HE gave us and he says – “bring them to me.”

Now, many of us would answer like the Apostles did… “What? This little bit? I can’t put THIS in front of so many people! I don’t have enough! I’m not good enough!” And Jesus would say – “it will be more than enough – and there will be left-overs…. Bring it to me.” Only by giving it to Jesus can we experience the miracle. More than that though – only by giving it to Jesus can the people AROUND us experience the miracle.

Let’s put this into more concrete terms. Exactly what ARE we supposed to put into the hands of Jesus?

Most obviously: Our food – just like the boy in the Gospel. Now, many of us would have been tempted to say – I worked for this food, go get your own! If I share mine, there won’t be enough for me! What does Jesus say? “Iit will be more than enough and there will be left-overs– bring it to me.” So we share our food – with the food pantry, with the community meals, with families who are grieving, and with our sick and elderly, and visitors at our door.

We also put our money into the hands of Jesus. Many people still follow the wisdom of the Bible by tithing, where they give 10% of their earnings to God. God and his Church can work miracles with that money, but only if we put it into the hands of Jesus. You might think about that as you put your money in the collection or in the Haiti box at the door...you're putting it into Jesus' hands…. And there will be left-overs.

What about our talents? God has given every one of us a talent that was meant to build up the church. Do we give our talent to Jesus? One example...We’re always in great need of musicians and other ministers for our Liturgy… but where are all the musicians? Many of us sitting here today HAVE THAT KIND OF TALENT – maybe you can sing – maybe you can play an instrument… but most of us would say– I’m not good enough. I can’t put THAT little bit in front of so many people. Jesus says – “it will be more than enough and there will be left-overs… bring it to me.”

What else can we put into Jesus’ hands? This gets tougher: Do we really believe that Jesus can make our families the perfect size? We’ll never know unless we give him our family planning. Jesus say, “bring it to me”.

What about our country? Do we trust God enough to vote for candidates who will uphold HIS principles? Jesus says, “bring it to me”.

What about our most precious commodity: TIME… The most common mantra of today is ‘I’m just too busy’. God gave every one of us 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week. Do we give him more than 40 minutes on Sunday? Can we spare an hour for Eucharistic adoration? 15 minutes for reading the bible every day? An hour visiting the sick or elderly? We shake our heads and say… ‘I just don’t have time.’ Jesus says, “it will be more than enough and there will be left-overs – bring it to me.”

Now you’re probably thinking, Mike - Do you really believe that? Do you really believe that Jesus can multiply our time? Yes! I know from experience and am usually amazed at how much we can get done if we set our mind to it. Here's a quote to remember: (if you have your little notebook, this might be the one thing to write!)

If we try to do something, we just might fail...but if we never try, we will SURELY fail. Can Jesus multiply our time?...We’ll never know unless we put it into his hands. Every minute we give to him will come back to us 10-fold…. Every talent we put at the service of the Church will bless the people around us.
“And there will be left-overs.”

My Mom this was talking this week about some memories from her childhood, and I came to the conclusion that Grandma, was Jesus. Ok – not exactly Jesus – but close.

Every Sunday they had a huge Sunday lunch as a family – and for supper they’d usually just have left-overs. But with 12 kids in the family, Sunday afternoons were the perfect time for boy friends and girl friends to come over – and as any good German-blooded person would do – she invited them to eat… or more likely she INSISTED that they eat supper with them. Even though Grandma had no idea how many people would be there for supper, there always was enough. She worked her own miracle of the loaves and fishes every Sunday evening.

…and there were always left-overs.