Gifts of Communion - Fr. Gregory - August 18, 2024

Today’s Gospel passage recounts Christ’s miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish, feeding a crowd of over five thousand. In the miracle, Christ first invokes God’s blessing on the food, then blesses it himself, then distributes it to the crowds. The fathers of the Church connect this miracle to the Holy Eucharist, and Fr. Gregory focuses on this symbolism in today’s sermon.He also points out that, in the miracle, Christ gives us an example of how we should go about our daily lives. We must recognize that nothing is our own, but everything, including our existence, is a gift from God. Our material goods, including our food, are a means of communion with God and with each other. God blesses us with what we have, and we can return it back to him with thanksgiving, creating a connection between us and God. We can share these same gifts with our fellow man, creating connections and communing with one another. We must recognize that everything is a gift from God, a means of communing with him and others through thanksgiving and sharing.