Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Enough!

Moses introduces the grumbling, complaining Israelites to God’s gift of manna. “This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.” Each day, for 40 years in the desert, there was enough to eat; they filled themselves. But when they tried to store some for the next day, it spoiled. This is recalled in the celebration of the Seder meal, in a song—Dayenu!—which means “it would have been enough.” The song is a litany, a counting of generous blessings from God.

In the small groups that have been gathering in our Parish ReConnect process, we are hearing many of us telling how this time of isolation was very disorienting for us. In the midst of our own wandering in a kind of desert, we learned to see and experience things differently. It shook us from our “taking things for granted.” Families discovered that they didn’t need “more” of some things; in fact, “less” was good for everyone. Priorities changed! People prayed more. Many became less self-absorbed and did more outreach to others, volunteering hours of time to help neighbors. And many stories shared told of how some of the losses became blessings. They discovered some of their real needs, different from what they thought they needed!

As we come to the table of the Eucharist, where we receive the Bread of Life, we are reminded of all the ways that Jesus is enough. We discover again and again that Jesus is the Bread of Life! Listen to Steve Angrisano and Tom Booth here: