Homily for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Back when I was a university student, I remember someone I knew saying to

me: isn’t it so nice when you get to the supermarket and they’ve run out of

cheap bread and so you’re forced to buy the more expensive sort?

Last week I was mentioning that we have a new Prime Minister and that he has

his work cut out ahead of him. But economic woes are not the be-all and end-

all. Satisfaction in life is not achieved by material well-being.

In the first reading it says: “Why do you spend your money for that which is

not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to

me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” But then, a bit

later on, it says: “and I will make with you an everlasting covenant”. Just keep

that phrase in mind: “and I will make with you an everlasting covenant”.

In the Gospel, we heard St Matthew’s account of the Feeding of the Five

Thousand. It’s not just an account of a miracle. Within it there is Eucharistic

language: “taking the five loaves ... said a blessing ... broke the loaves and

gave them to the disciples” – taking, blessing, broke and gave.

It’s also a fulfilment in part of the first reading: “And they all ate and were

satisfied”. Also note there were twelve baskets full, with the number twelve

indicating completeness.

But the first reading is not a prophecy of the Feeding of the Five Thousand.

The first reading and Gospel are prophetic of the Mass.

Can you remember that line I asked you to remember from the first reading:

“and I will make with you an everlasting covenant”?

The Last Supper was a Passover meal, celebrated in Jerusalem, under the

shadow, if you like of the Temple, the proper place for offering sacrifices to

God.

At the Passover meal, roasted lamb would have been eaten. Today, my

understanding is, when the Jews celebrate the Passover, there is no roast lamb,

because there is no Temple. Instead there is just a lamb bone instead.

At the Last Supper, Christ reveals the meaning of the Passover ritual.

People have gathered to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, and they do so

with their lamb which has been sacrificed in the Temple. But now Christ points

to a new sacrifice, a new meal and a new covenant:

“Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my Blood, the

Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and

for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.”

Rather than the Temple as the place of sacrifice, there is a new place of

sacrifice, Calvary. Rather than various Passover meals being celebrated, now

the Mass is celebrated in churches all over the world. And rather than looking

to the Old Testament covenant with Moses, now we look to the New Testament

covenant under Christ.

What Christ does, brings the Old Covenant and all the Old Testament

prophecies to completion. Think of those twelve baskets full after the Feeding

of the Five Thousand. And in that covenant we have the food that satisfies, the

blood that really takes sins away, the Word of God in whom we are fulfilled.

So economic hardships we can live through. What we can’t stand is to be

separated from Christ.

Curious about exploring things further?  If you would like to ask further questions about the topics raised in these homilies (or maybe think it wasn’t explained too well!), please feel free to e-mail Fr Michael at stjoseph.thame@rcaob.org.uk