Gather the Fragments: An Economy of Gift and Communion

When they gave what they had, He multiplied and mediated their gift and the economy of gift and communion was manifested.

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (Catholic Online) - On the 17th Sunday of the Year (Year B) we hear proclaimed at Mass the "feeding of the 5,000." It is the account as recorded by John. His Gospel, the last to be written, is rich with theological reflection. So it is with this his rendering of this marvelous miracle of practical provision. We find what occurred in this "lonely place" in all four Gospel accounts. The needs of this large crowd reveal the Divine Economy of gift and communion and point us to our call to social participation. The inclusion in all four Gospels underscores the importance of the lessons to be learned.

St. John concludes his Gospel narrative with these words: "There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written." (John 21:25) The Sacred Humanity of Jesus Christ reveals to all of us who we can become and how we are called to live our lives together in this world. It is not only about a wondrous miracle which really occurred in that "lonely place" (which it did) but a call to an entirely new way of living.

This Gospel comes only weeks after the release of Pope Benedict's wonderful Encyclical letter "Charity in Truth" (Caritas in Veritate') which contains within it the seeds of hope for building what the Church has long called a "truly integral humanism". The Holy Father reminded us that "...ideological rejection of God and an atheism of indifference, oblivious to the Creator and at risk of becoming equally oblivious to human values, constitute some of the chief obstacles to development today. A humanism which excludes God is an inhuman humanism." (#78) In an age which has born the bad fruits of atheistic and "secular" humanism, we are called to proclaim the new and true humanism revealed in Jesus Christ, the New Man.

These words of the Second Vatican Council in its' document on the relationship of the Church in the "modern" world, reflect the understanding of the early Church "... The truth is that only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light. For Adam, the first man, was a figure of Him Who was to come, namely Christ the Lord. Christ, the final Adam, by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His love, fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear." We see in the humanity of Jesus who we are to become and how we are to live.

In this letter Pope Benedict addresses economic challenges presented by globalism. He calls for the application of social and economic ordering principles the Church has long proposed, such as "subsidiarity", within these new contexts. He reminds us this is a principle of "...inalienable human freedom. Subsidiarity is first and foremost a form of assistance to the human person via the autonomy of intermediate bodies. Such assistance is offered when individuals or groups are unable to accomplish something on their own, and it is always designed to achieve their emancipation, because it fosters freedom and participation through assumption of responsibility. Subsidiarity respects personal dignity by recognizing in the person a subject who is always capable of giving something to others. By considering reciprocity as the heart of what it is to be a human being, subsidiarity is the most effective antidote against any form of all-encompassing welfare state." (#57) He asserts the inextricable link between this principle and the principle of solidarity which affirms that we really are our brother's (and sister's) keeper.

When this Encyclical was released the early responders attempted to read it through the prism of political categories such as "left" and "right", "liberal" and conservative". The wrangling reminded me of the line in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy is asked by Belinda "Are you a good witch or a bad witch" to which she responds, "Why I am not a witch at all". The incessant efforts to characterize the principles offered in this brilliant letter as "for or against capitalism" when it does not even use the word "capitalism", missed the directions offered within it to proceed with a proper approach to development.

This letter, like the miracle of the loaves, invites us into a way of living which begins in, proceeds through and reveals our human vocation to live in relationship. We are by grace and nature called to communion with God and, in Him, to communion with one another. That should change everything, including how we relate to the goods of the earth and how we share those goods with one another. Pope Benedict XVI calls for an approach to economic development which reflects the primacy of the person, the family, our obligations to one another and our special call to love the poor. He points to another way, the way of gift, love, participation and communion. He helps to unpack the meaning of the Gospel story, inviting us to build an economy of gift and communion. The Gospel account is not only about a miracle which occurred in that "lonely place", but about the miracle which can occur in every "lonely place", including the place in time in which we now find ourselves.

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In the synoptic accounts Jesus instructs the disciples "You give them something to eat" (See, Matt. 14, Mark 6, and Luke 9), the invitation to move beyond a mentality of economism and scarcity into a new way of living, with and for one another. When they gave what they had, placing it in the hands of the Master, He multiplied and mediated their gift and the economy of gift and communion was manifested. Not only were all fed but "the fragments" left over filled twelve baskets. The number twelve reflects the twelve tribes of Israel and the Twelve Apostles, the living stones of the New Israel, the Church. There will always be enough if we recover our true humanism and learn to live together in love. St. John the theologian uses the little boy to demonstrate the condition of the heart required. As a child, he held nothing back. He simply gave what he had. Will we? Gather the Fragments, live the miracle, build an economy of gift and communion.

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