The Gospel of Matthew speaks of the miracle of loaves and fish; the Elisha story in 2 Book of Kings, of feeding 100 with twenty barley loaves; and the Book of Exodus of God feeding the people with manna.

The early followers of Jesus saw Eucharist overtones in the loaves and fish story.  Recall that Jesus looks up to heaven, he blesses the bread, and he gives it to his disciples who in turn feed the crowd.  When we grasp all of this, it becomes obvious why this miracle is recorded by all four of the evangelists.

In our celebration of the Eucharist we too recall the past, we make present the saving love of God, and we look to a future when God will accomplish all things in Christ.  It is in the Eucharist that Christ meets us, has pity on us, heals us, feeds us, and satisfies us.  It is in the Eucharist that Christ's love for us is abundantly evident. 

St. Matthew gives us another three brief parables on the kingdom of heaven.  He records that Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is near and that we should radically change our lives (repent) in order to enter it.  Jesus also says that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the "poor in spirit" and to those "who suffer persecution for justice's sake."

Perhaps Paul tells us best what the kingdom of heaven is like in today's reading from his letter to the Romans.  The "pearl of great price" for the Christian is God's call to be who we truly are created to be: "confirmed to the image of his Son," that is, called to be images of Jesus in every thought, word and action of our life.

For the Christian disciple there is no getting away from the fact that Jesus is the pearl of great price.  He is the only one worth our giving up everything.  Our being Catholic Christian, as sons and daughters of God, is the greatest gift that we could ever be given, and maintaining that identity is worth everything.

Our reading from Romans presents a powerful start to these 'ordinary' Sundays of the year.  The message is there for us right at the start of our discipleship for the next few months:  " you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you . . . the Spirit of Christ . . . will give life . . . through his Spirit that dwells in you."  All the verses quoted confirm all that was said on Trinity Sunday . . . notice it is the 'spirit' of all three Persons.  We should be possessed by the Spirit of all Three. 

It is in these 'ordinary' weeks of the year that all the great and powerful celebrations of Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity, and Eucharist must be harvested.  The harvest should be the direct result of our ordinary living, our daily dscipleship.  It is in this way that everything will be present through his Spirit living in us.