St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church

May our peacemaking Lord Jesus give us His peace.

Come and get it!!! No fear. While His heart was breaking.

Come and get it!!! The Prophet Isaiah is responding to a people dried out and done with life. They have had it rough, the Israelites are just now returning from being exiled from their country. Life has been hugely hard.

He says, it is time, come home. Enjoy the water of your homeland, grain, wine, milk, rich fare, and the renewal of your life. God is calling them home, making come true, the promise to King David of a land flowing with milk and honey. God makes a covenant, God keeps a covenant.

But you know? It will not be long before the people worship other things. In this case they really come to like the stones in a particular river bed. They ramp up sexual pleasure as if it were something that could last. They rebel against God, take up/make up a new religion, and fall again.

God shouts, "Come and get it!!!" the people seem to want their whacked fast food instead. As a lover of fast food, I can tell you I know the difference. When God calls me, I come. His own know His voice.

Here's a list of today's junk food. Video games, texting, gambling, internet porn, letting another relationship than with your spouse become an alienation of affection, being a busybody but getting nothing significant done. And then there is the actual junk food. What's in your fridge?

The Lord is calling, "Come and get it!!!" What do you find on His table? Things that last. Here's a list of those. Visiting the sick, shut in, imprisoned, feeding people who are actually hungry, quality time on a porch, homemade tea or lemonade or a pie. Listening to someone for a good while, building a school, starting a prayer group, driving the handicap van, tutoring our school children. Come and get it!!!

No fear . What will separate us from God? NOTHING. God never moves. I do. If I am choosing God, if I am going His way, I have no fear.

If you cut me down, He builds me up. His love is forever. I am not afraid.

While His heart was breaking . Jesus learns that His cousin, John the Baptizer, who has been preparing thousands of people for Jesus to come, has just been killed. John the Baptizer preached against Herod marrying his brother's wife. Herod, at his birthday party, became so happy about a dance a girl did, that he told her excitedly "ask for whatever you wish." She talked with her mother and they asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. They hated John's preaching against them. Wouldn't you?

Jesus had a very, very special relationship to His cousin. Much more than family ties going on here. Eternal partnership. So now John is dead.

When Jesus gets word, I believe His heart was pierced. He goes off in a boat to get away, rowing and crying I am sure. He rows all the way across the lake. A vast crowd hears about what happened and meets up with Him across the lake. He lands on shore heartbroken, but now for two reasons. They have also brought their sick to Him. While His heart is breaking He cures them and tells His disciples to feed them from the very, very little they have.

He says the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to the people. From, through, to. God provides. The come and get it. And in the middle of their pain. Even Jesus is hurting. The end describes plenty. God provides.

You and I can do all kinds of things to chase pain with short term fixes, but the only real fix will be loving. But loving as you see and probably know is dang painful. I ask you in the Holy Name of God, not to fear.

When we give and love, there will never be any shame in it. Our faith is requested even while our hearts are breaking. Glory be to God, not to us.