Spiritual Satiety

~~~ Numbers 11:4B-15 ~~~ Psalm 81 ~~~ Matthew 14:13-21 ~~~

...all ate and were satisfied...

The loaves and fishes were not only enough to feed the large crowd, 

but it also satisfied them.

What does it take to be satisfied?

It is not just a matter of putting food into your stomach.

God fed the Israelites in the desert, but they were not satisfied.

They were bored with the same manna from heaven which fell each day.

They wanted some variety in the diet...

We remember the fish we used to eat without cost in Egypt,

and the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks,

the onions, and the garlic.

But now we are famished;

we see nothing before us but this manna.

They wanted some spice in their diet.

People who are placed on a very restrictive

 diet often make the same request.

We become accustom to variety and seasonings in our meals.

Have you ever eaten a whole meal only to feel unsatisfied?

You were anticipating one thing and what you ate did not match up...

so consequently you did not feel satisfied.

Without getting too technical, there is a specific region of the brain

 that lets us know when we have had enough to eat,

but does it signal when we are satisfied.

For many people eating is an emotional experience.

The Israelites were not having the emotional experience they wanted.

They were traveling in the desert.

They had left their homes and most of their belongs behind.

And their diet was less than satisfying.

Jesus feeds more then the stomach.

Jesus feeds the soul...the inner spirit...

He is the nourishment we need for the journey.

The Eucharist is what we need to satisfy our hunger for peace...

our hunger for connection...our hunger for God.

During Mass there is good reason to have some time to meditate

after receiving Holy Communion;

it allows the mind to fully comprehend the gift.

It allows us time to be intimate with God.

It promotes spiritual satiety and a sense of closeness with Jesus.

...all ate and were satisfied...

Come to the table the Lord has prepared for you;

be satisfied in mind, body, and soul.

One does not live by bread alone.

What you seek is here at the table...blessed, 

broken, given up for you.

~~~Peace~~~