THE WICKER BASKETS
Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
My dear encountered couples:
Jesus feeds four thousand people. And with just seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. When the party was over we’re told they gathered up seven wicker baskets of leftovers. We’ve all gotten used to hearing about the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, and sort of take it for granted. But have you ever wondered where those wicker baskets came from?
There are always parts of a story we miss until someone points them out. Do you suppose there are always parts of the stories of our lives we miss and need to have pointed out?
For instance: You drive your car to work. You daydream all the way. Before you know it you are there. And safely. How come you arrived in one piece if you were daydreaming all the way? Did you stop at stop signs, did you turn on your turn signals, did you keep to the speed limit? Did you have to swerve to keep from hitting anybody? Did they have to swerve to keep from hitting you? How did you arrive alive? Again, where did those wicker baskets come from?
You are feeling sick, depressed, lonely. A cat rubs against your leg, a bird tweets in your yard, a butterfly flies around your head, a snowflake lands on your nose. The phone rings, it’s a friend. Where did those wicker baskets come from?
The wicker baskets came from same place the loaves and fishes came from. Oh, how much God loves us!
