Saints Joachim And Anne, Parents Of The Blessed Virgin Mary

Exodus 16:1-5,9-15
Matthew 13:1-9

BREAD BECOMES BREAD WHEN IT FEEDS IN HUNGRY

Today is the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the traditionally named parents of Mary, Mary is the seed of Joachim and Anne and her own seed is the promised seed from the root of Jesse-The Messiah, Christ Jesus., the Saviour of the world. Through their opposition to the Divine plan, they won God’s favor. God is a God Who provides for those who are prepared to receive His Goodness. Parents must teach their children how to love God’s word and choose what is right.

Today’s first reading tells how God responds to the complaints of the people of Israel who were reaching the end of their food supply. After complaining and murmurings, God answered them. They suddenly noticed a white substance on the ground early in the morning . It was manna from heaven. We too, rather than grumble and murmur when we are faced with the storms of life, can search for daily “manna”, ‘the word of God’ to refresh our spirits. This can be done by intensifying our prayer life, finding time to read Bible daily, and ensuring that we do good or help others daily.

The psalmist says; The Lord gave them bread from heaven. Besides being a food staple, bread also carries with it profound symbolism. We break bread together in a sign of community. We experience in the Eucharist the Bread of Life. And bread, like the dewfall, fed the Israelites in the desert.

Today’s gospel is about the Sower and the seed. It is a powerful image of being fed, being sustained by the graciousness of God.The seed is the Word of God, who is the highest good and supreme goodness. The seed which God sows, therefore, cannot be anything but a good seed. The type of hearts on which we have received His Word, sown in us, will determine what it will yield.

What is sometimes lost in these stories is the fact that the seed that grows into fruit or grain contains within it the seeds of life for the next generation. The life given to us is a life we must share with others. We become the “bread from heaven” for those with whom we live and work, for those we encounter on the sidewalk, on the bus, or in the store. What we have received, we freely offer to others. The bread we receive, we break and give away. Bread is not meant for the oven, the store shelf, or behind a bakery’s window. Bread only becomes bread when it feeds the hungry.

Fr Joseph Osho