Today's Gospel is proclaimed on a day when our parish joins the universal Church in celebrating Mission Cooperative Appeal Sunday as we welcome the Franciscan Friars. This is more than a fundraising appeal. It is a reminder that the Church is missionary by her very nature. From the day of our baptism, each of us has been sent to bring Christ to the world.
The disciples looked at the crowd and saw only scarcity. Five loaves. Two fish. Thousands of hungry people. Their solution was simple: "Send them away." But Jesus refused to send them away. Instead, He challenged His disciples: "You give them something to eat."
Those words are still addressed to the Church today. Around the world, millions of people hunger—not only for bread, but for the Bread of Life. They hunger for the Gospel, for the sacraments, for hope, for education, for medical care, and for the dignity that comes from knowing they are beloved children of God.
Missionaries are the hands and feet of Christ in places where the Church is young, poor, persecuted, or struggling. They build churches, celebrate the sacraments, educate children, care for th
e sick, accompany refugees, defend the dignity of the poor, and proclaim Jesus Christ where His name has scarcely been heard. The temptation is to say, "What difference can my small gift make?" That was the disciples' question. "We have only five loaves and two fish." But Jesus never asks us to give what we do not have. He asks us to place what we have into His hands. The miracle begins not with abundance but with generosity. What seems insignificant in our hands becomes a blessing in His.
Mission is not only for priests, sisters, or missionaries in distant countries. Every baptized Christian is a missionary. Some are sent by crossing oceans; most are sent by crossing the street. Some give their lives; all of us are called to give our prayers, our witness, and our generosity.
Today, as we welcome the Franciscan Missionaries, let us remember that our contribution is not simply a donation. It is an act of faith. It helps another child receive an education, another family hear the Gospel, another community celebrate the Eucharist, another person encounter the mercy of Christ.
God is good, all the time!
Father Tony Udoh, MSP Pastor of Holy Family
