The Drive Thru

By Lisa Greey —

What do these ads belong to? “Have it your way” “Think outside the bun” “I’m loving it” These fast food chains, and their slogans, are ingrained in our minds!  Let’s be honest, we all crave fast food once in awhile!  (Well, maybe not the healthy conscious, but the rest of us do!)  When you need a quick fix, sometimes a trip to Burger King will do the trick!  We all can relate to the experience of being hungry and thirsty.  Our bodies can only live a few days if deprived from water!  These physical needs as essential to living healthy lives – so what can we glean from today’s gospel story when Jesus feeds 5,000 people?

This miracle stands out amongst others because it is present in all four of the gospels.  The order of events is important for our reflection.  First Jesus is “moved with pity” and “heals the sick.”  In other gospel readings, when Jesus heals the sick he also forgives them of sin.  We can imagine he is doing the same here – bestowing spiritual and physical healings on people.  After this is done, the issue of feeding all these people arises.  If you read all four accounts, you can get a glimpse of the ‘imperfections’ of the disciples.  They are a bit cranky about this situation.  They want Jesus to send the people away so they can buy food in town.  In another account, Peter laments about how much money it would cost if the disciples purchased the food.  Surely we’ve been in a similar situation?  Your mom wants to order pizza, but your dad suggests that cooking up burgers would be cheaper.  Or – you’re out with your friends and you decide where to get dinner based on the best deal!  Well Peter was also being cost conscious, and the other disciples are getting upset wondering how things will work out.  You can’t help but wonder why no one in the crowd thought to pack a dinner!  PB & J might have done the trick!  So the disciples and Jesus have quite a situation on their hands.  Someone procures 5 loaves and 2 fish.  Jesus “says a blessing” then directs the disciples to hand out the food, and because nothing is impossible with God, 5,000 are fed!

So why is order important in this story?  Because Jesus fulfills the people’s spiritual needs – healing them of sin and sickness.  Then he notices a physical need.  When the little food available is brought to him, he first offers a blessing.  Then he feeds the people.  He shares a meal with them.  He provides for their needs abundantly.  He feeds them spiritually, and then he feeds them physically.  Let’s apply this to our faith life.  Are we surviving on fast food, going through the “drive thru” instead of spending time learning, reflecting, and partaking in the sacraments?  Do we spend more time on our physical needs – working out and eating right – then our spiritual needs?  Both are important, but it is easy to emphasize the physical over the spiritual.  What are the signs of spiritual hunger?  Matthew Kelly, a catholic author, points out that while our souls don’t growl like our stomachs, confusion and frustration are signs of a “hungry soul.”  There needs to be a balance in how we can for our whole persons, which are made up of body and soul with physical and spiritual needs.  Today let’s reflect on the condition of our soul.  Is it hungry? Looking for more?  If the answer is yes, I suggest you spend some time in prayer rather than hitting up the drive thru!