Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
(Exodus 16:1-5.9-15; Mathew 13:1-9)
Those old enough to have experienced the gas shortages of
the 1970s may remember how people reacted by hoarding the gas that was
available. A cartel of oil producers
reduced its output so that there was less gas available on the American
market. Gas became more expensive, but
people did not buy less. Rather they
hoarded what was available waiting in line for considerable time to make sure
that their gas tanks were always filled.
In today’s first reading God wants to see a different kind of response to
the shortage of bread that the Israelites experienced in the desert.
Not long after the exodus from Egypt the people food
supply runs low. Many start to worry
that they would starve and complain that they should never have left captivity. God hears their cries and plans to provide
food. But He wants to test the people’s
trust in Him by demanding that they do not hoard the bread-like manna that He will
send. Rather they are to take only
enough bread for their daily ration although twice as much is to be allowed on
the sixth day of the week so that they would not have to gather food on the
Sabbath.
Fear of not having enough can move people to act greedily. Hoarding is not being prudent but selfish. In
times of shortages we need to be especially conscious of the common good and to
trust that God will provide for our welfare.
