“Go and See”. This was the theme of the 5th Pastoral Gathering held last Jan. 29 – Feb. 2, 2010 at the Sacred Heart Novitiate.
Charles Bertille gave a very meaningful reflection on Mark 6:34-44, the guiding text for the theme. It truly speaks to all the participants, as pastors of the community today.
A. The Situation
The disciples follow Jesus to a deserted place, a difficult area with no conveniences. When Jesus suggests for them to share food with the people, they have a very strong reaction. The disciples understand that it means spending money. What he invites them to do is to see what they can share. Then Jesus asks them to check again what they have. It seems unreasonable that the people only have 5 loaves and 2 fishes as they surely will have some food on them since they travel far. The disciples only seem to give a minimum as a response. But, Jesus takes this response and engages them.
We can find a connection in our life, as we are often in similar difficult situations. We find this connection in the different contexts of our missions. For example, in each country, it is difficult to invite persons to participate; to engage them is tough. In these situations of difficulty, Jesus reveals the nature of God, a God of dialogue. He engages us to respond. Our ministry starts with this initiation to compassion.
B. The Pastor
Jesus took, looked up, blessed, broke and gave. This is similar to the Eucharistic action of taking, blessing, breaking and sharing.
How do we live as pastors in our lives? As pastors, we make the others see that God is at work. We make them see that there is never nothing, that there is always something. We make them see that there is always abundance, and never scarcity.
As pastors, we give value to what is offered; we take the ordinary situations and give life to it. When we accompany, evangelize, or animate, we are living the pastor’s role of calling others to life. We are allowing the moment to transform lives, and to make God’s grace flow.
Only we can take the cup of our lives and share it with others. Unless we are broken, we cannot give ourselves fully in mission. And as pastors, we experience being broken often, when there is non-collaboration or when we receive hurtful responses from others.
C. The Kingdom of God
Why do we need to pick up the left-over, the remnants, the crumbs? Why is Jesus concerned about this? In asking the disciples to pick up the crumbs, he is telling them that there is value in these remnants (the poor, the forgotten). Jesus wants us to give value to the offerings of the poor. When we pick up the crumbs, we acknowledge that even the small people can contribute. Their offering may seem insignificant, but we affirm that what they give has value. We need to go and pick up the remnants. We may have a call to work with the youth, the professionals, but we need to pay attention to the remnants, the small ones, and give value to them.
Jesus also seems to say, don’t waste my Father’s work. Don’t take things for granted. Don’t criticize each other so quickly. God is doing his work through each one, including the small ones.
Finally, in the text, Jesus organizes the people in groups. The Kingdom is about communities. God is raising communities to build His Kingdom. Then, Jesus tells his disciples to feed them; he delegates. He is raising the experience of pastoral care in the people. Jesus wants us to organize, to delegate and share our work, to put structure in our communities.
In the end, all will be satisfied. All that we do has meaning and contributes to the building of the Kingdom.
View pictures of the gathering here.
