1. -- Lanie LeBlanc OP - <lanie@leblanc.one>
2. -- Fr. Jude Siciliano OP - <FrJude@JudeOP.org>

3. -- Elaine H. Ireland <ehireland@gmail.com>

4. -- Carmen Mele OP <cmeleop@yahoo.com>
5. --(Your reflection can be here!)

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Blessings,

Dr. Lanie LeBlanc OP

Southern Dominican Laity

lanie@leblanc.one

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Fr. Jude Siciliano OP - <FrJude@JudeOP.org>

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18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Isaiah 55:1-3; Romans 8:35, 37-39; Matthew 14:13-21)

It is not without reason that Jesus wishes to withdraw alone upon hearing the news of John the Baptist’s murder. They had known each other even before they were born. It is said that for a time, Jesus was a disciple of John. It is certainly true that he was baptized by the great prophet of the Jordan River. Precisely because John was a man devoted to God, Jesus would have wanted to reflect on the meaning of his death.

The Gospel does not reveal Jesus’s thoughts in that “deserted place,” but how could he not consider that he, too, might face the same bloody fate? Almost all human beings have experienced such moments, wondering about their own passing after hearing of an unexpected death. Just six years ago, the entire world was consumed by the prospect of sudden death. COVID-19 was claiming the lives of millions of people of all races, religions, and social classes. “What will happen to me if I catch the virus?” we asked ourselves. Like John, Jesus did not hesitate to speak truth to power. Undoubtedly, he realized that he could meet a similar end.

Yet, what is remarkable about today’s Gospel is that Jesus does not linger in his contemplation. Before long, he is healing the sick who continue to flock to him. Perhaps through his reflection on death, Jesus realizes that the people seek more than just physical healing; they need a remedy for their souls.

We live in a world alongside billions of other people. Moreover, since humanity has inhabited the earth for thousands upon thousands of years, countless other human beings have existed. As if that were not enough, the heavens hold innumerable stars with potentially inhabited planets. How could we not feel insignificant—of no more value than grains of sand in the desert or drops of water in the sea? We wonder if, before long, we will be forgotten more quickly than sounds in the night. To remedy these troubling thoughts, Jesus wants everyone to know of God’s concern for them. For the vast crowd gathered before Him, Jesus envisions a banquet that will demonstrate His Father’s care. They could buy food in the nearby villages to sustain themselves, but it would not nourish them for long. Instead of mere survival, Jesus wishes to provide the superabundance of bread proclaimed by the prophet of the Babylonian exile in today’s first reading. This anonymous visionary—whom scholars call "Second Isaiah"—sowed seeds of hope among a disheartened people.

Five centuries before Christ, the Jews exiled in Babylon were languishing. They had lost their homeland, their homes, and likely many relatives and friends. Now, after fifty years of captivity, they hear God’s servant speak of an offer of "hearty fare." This refers not to a storehouse filled with provisions, but to a supply of spiritual gifts through which a righteous people could flourish.

In that desolate place, Jesus instructs the people to take their places. He then takes the food at hand—barely five loaves and two fish—looks up to heaven, pronounces a blessing, breaks the bread, and gives it to the disciples to distribute. If these actions remind us of the Eucharist, we are thinking along the same lines as Matthew the Evangelist. The five loaves and two fish, blessed and broken, represent the elements of the Last Supper, where the Eucharist originated.

Thus, every time we participate in Mass, we are nourished by God’s superabundance. We know that the bread has been transformed into what Jesus declared it to be at the Supper: His Body. Given up, crucified, and risen from the dead, His Body assured His companions at that blessed meal of the superabundance of life. When we receive it worthily, He grants us, too, that superabundance—a gift that does not end even with death.

Carmen Mele OP <cmeleop@yahoo.com>

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Volume 2 is for you. These reflections follow the Liturgical Calendar and appear here about mid-week each week.  They are written by various guest authors.  If you would like to submit a reflection of your own, or subscribe to free weekly emails, then click here to send an email request to post to the Webmaster.  Deadline is Monday morning of each week for the upcoming Sunday.

VOLUME II ARCHIVE

• 18th Sunday •
• 17th Sunday •
• 16th Sunday •
• 15th Sunday •
• 14th Sunday •
• 13th Sunday •

A service of The Order of Preachers, The Dominicans.
Province of St. Martin De Porres
(Southern Dominican Province USA)
P.O. Box 8129, New Orleans, LA 70182
(504) 837-2129; Fax (504) 837-6604
http://www.opsouth.org
(form revised 10/13/2025)