Reflection by Rev. Leonard N. Peterson

August could be called “ the month for daydreamers.”  I say that guardedly because not all of us are on vacation. But a lot of people are. Those lucky souls have the chance to stare up into the sky from wherever they go to relax and daydream as they note the shape of the clouds. Or they could lie back on the beach sand or their backyard hammock and think deep thoughts along with their dreams. May I suggest one such thought that would not arise immediately, but it is encompassed by the famous story we read in the gospel for today?  It is “the priesthood of the laity.”

Obviously, there is what the Church calls “the ministerial priesthood.”  This is the one instituted by Christ at the Last Supper table when He told his baffled Apostles to “Do this in memory of Me.”  That’s the priesthood of the ordained gentlemen who graduated from a seminary.

But we can turn to St. Paul’s writings to tell us what the Church has steadfastly taught,  and still does, about another priesthood more common and fundamental. namely the “priesthood of the faithful.” Paul writes: “Through Baptism all the members of the Church share in the priesthood of Christ.”

Now this doesn’t mean that you should start shopping for Mass vestments. Or look for the nearest seminary. Rather, does this teaching give a formal name to what you have hopefully been living your whole life; That is, living as Christ would if He were in your place. It also encourages you “to share their ordained priest’s anxieties and help them as far as possible by prayer and active work so that they may be better able to overcome difficulties and carry out their duties with greater success.” (Vatican 2, no.9)

So, you and I are in a certain partnership with Christ to continue His work here below. In that way, we guarantee a spot in the “ place above.”  Just by your example of being here at Mass to worship God on an August Sunday when so many “so-called Catholics” who should be here are not. This priesthood we share makes us both like the boy in this closing story who is flying his kite.

The boy’s kite was so high that it had disappeared  into the clouds. A man came by and asked, “Why are you holding on to that string?”

The boy said, “I’ve got a kite up there.”  The man looked up and said, “I don’t see it.” The boy replied, “Well, I know it’s there because I can feel the tug.”

That’s like the tug we all feel from time to time in our hearts, which lets us know that God is for real and He cares for you. That’s a fact, and not a summer daydream. God love you and let you feel His tug this week.

Rev. Peterson’s Reading & Gospel Summary

Reading I: Isaiah 55: 1-8

The prophet promises a new covenant that will fulfill the one made with David and the Lord. Meanwhile he also notes that the mercies of God are too abundant for us sinners to truly comprehend.

Reading II: Romans 8: 35, 37-39

The suffering person cries out for deliverance. We must remember that salvation cannot be threatened by any force outside of ourselves.

The Gospel:  Matthew 14: 13-21

Jesus’ multiplication of the loaves and fishes appears in all four gospels. This underscores its importance for us, as it anticipates the miracle of the Last Supper. There would come the priesthood of the ordained and also of the faithful people of the Church.