Homily: August 4, 2025 Monday of the Eighteenth week in Ordinary Time (Complain-satisfied)

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 “They all ate and were satisfied.” 

One of the beautiful virtues that come with growing up in a big family is being thankful and satisfied with whatever food is placed on the table. My siblings and I learnt to enjoy and eat whatever was being served, without complaint.

Mommy would prepare one main dish for all, which usually had simple ingredients and lots of spices, together with rice. We had options of course – we could choose to eat or not eat.

We always chose to eat because we didn’t want to be hungry. We had very little snacks in those days, and there would be no other side meals. There wasn’t any cooked food sold in the village too. So if we didn’t eat what mommy cooked, there was no other food available.

Sometimes we got something special when we fell sick. After a fever, mommy might prepare some chicken soup or porridge with wild meat for us, and that would be a special treat.

I don’t remember hearing my papa complain about mommy’s cooking. We didn’t either. Mommy’s food was always satisfying. Even though simple, the cooking process was a lot of work. We were blessed we had nutritious warm meals. That’s why it bothers me when I hear people complain about their food. They have so many options and varieties, yet they are not satisfied.

We see in the first reading, the Israelites who had been fed daily with miracle food, manna from heaven, without even having to work hard for it, but were complaining and comparing with what they used to eat in Egypt. They had forgotten how much they had to suffer as slaves and how much they cried to God to deliver them. Now they are freed from slavery and are fed divine food freely, yet they are not satisfied.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus also fed a great crowd. “They all ate and were satisfied.” They were hungry, they didn’t bring food, and they wanted to follow Jesus. They just ate what was given and were thus satisfied.

The crowds following Jesus had nothing, thus they were appreciative when they were given something. The Israelites, however, were focused on what they used to have, so they could not appreciate what they were given now.

Let us now check ourselves: Am I grateful for what I have? Am I satisfied, or do I want more?

God continues to feed us freely, with His Word, His love, and most of all, the Eucharist. When we approach Him with open hearts, we will always be satisfied. May we always be grateful and we will be blessed. Amen.


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